


Companions at the Chalet School

by hhertzof



Series: Sarah Jane at the Chalet School [2]
Category: Chalet School - Brent-Dyer, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-17
Updated: 2010-06-17
Packaged: 2017-10-10 04:12:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 36,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/95343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hhertzof/pseuds/hhertzof
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Chalet School has three new pupils. Sarah Jane is ambivalent; Ace has been coerced by the Doctor, and Jo is just thrilled to be at boarding school at last. Meanwhile, Barbara Wright joins the school as a mistress. Mysterious weather and strange doings make this a term to remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. School Days

**Author's Note:**

> Written for TARDIS Big Bang on Livejournal.
> 
> Thanks and hugs to my wonderful (and numerous) betas: Paranoidangel, persiflage_1, atraphoenix, ladyvivien, purpleprimate and brewsternorth and hugs to seleney936, who read it but didn't have time to beta and all the people who suffered through my angst about finishing it.

"Come in," Jo Grant called out at the rap on her door. She turned down her radio and sat up on her bed, dislodging three pillows and half a dozen comics. Ignoring the chaos, she smiled as her mother entered.

Mrs Grant shook her head at the mountains of stuff on the floor. "I don't know how you find anything in this mess." She reached over and switched off the radio. This would be a big change for her daughter, and she wanted to make certain that she had the girl's full attention. Absently picking up and stacking the comic books, she took a deep breath and asked, "How would you feel about boarding school, Jo? It would mean being separated from me and Daddy for a while, and obeying many more rules than we've ever expected you to."

In fact, Jo's upbringing had been very lax. Mr and Mrs Grant were inclined to indulge her a bit, usually giving in when she asked for some special treat. She wasn't completely spoilt, but she _was_ apt to tease to get her way.

"Boarding school? Really?" Jo couldn't believe her good fortune. She had wanted this forever. She had rows and rows of gaily jacketed school stories on the shelves in her room, testament to her obsession, but up until now, her parents had resisted, saying that she was too young and that the local school would be good enough.

Jo almost bounced with excitement as her mother explained. "Your dad's being posted overseas to India, and I thought I'd go with him. Your brother will be staying at his school and you'll go off to the Chalet School in Switzerland. We've made the arrangements and I've got the prospectus right here." She passed Jo the booklet. "With us so far away, it won't matter so much if you're in England or in Switzerland, and I went there myself. It may have changed somewhat, but many of the staff members I remember are still there."

Mrs Grant glanced around the room at the chaos: clothing on the chair and floor, rough drafts of school work from the previous term mixing with comics and letters to friends on the desk, and all the other clutter of a girl who'd never been taught to pick up after herself. "At the very least you'll learn tidiness. You'll only have a cubicle and you'll be expected to keep it neat."

Switzerland. Jo's eyes widened. If anyone could die of happiness, she felt, at this very moment, that it might happen to her. "I s'pose I can manage, if I really must, Mummy. And keeping neat and tidy. I expect they'll want me to do that too." Her appearance belied this. The curly blonde hair was short enough that it never became too disordered, but her blouse had pulled loose from her skirt, and she'd lost a button somewhere along the way, leaving it all askew.

"I expect they will." Mrs Grant pressed a kiss on the top of her daughter's head. I'm glad you're so happy about this. We were afraid you might not want to be away from us."

"Mum, it's _boarding school_. I've wanted this forever." She jumped up and embraced her mother. "Thank you. I'll do my best and I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you will," her mother said with a smile. "Now, here's the prospectus. Why don't you look at it, while I go down to get ready for the party tonight."

For once, Jo didn't tease to be allowed to come to the party instead of having dinner early and being banished to her room. After her mother left she danced about, singing, "I'm going to boarding school. I'm going to boarding school. I'm going to boarding school in Switzerland." It sounded so much more exotic than going to school in Cornwall or Sussex. Even though her mother had gone to the school, _she_ had been stuck at the English Branch.

She flopped down on her bed, turned the radio back on, and started studying the prospectus and singing along with the Beatles latest single, ignoring the text in favour of the photos of smartly dressed girls, and what looked like a pretty school.

The uniform wasn't bad- her books had prepared her for something unflattering, but the style looked almost modern- or at least as modern as a school uniform could get. And the girls seemed to be having fun. There were pictures of them putting on a play - a holiday pageant, according to the caption- doing crafts, participating at a fair in fancy dress.

The next page was sport, which she would have ignored except that there were pictures of girls in snow suits and dark glasses _skiing_. She had always wanted to learn how to ski, but there was never enough snow in England. There wasn't likely to be skiing in the summer term but if she stayed there, surely there would be a chance next year.

Jo started to read the page, to see whether it had been a school trip, or was offered as an extra. She hoped that if it was an extra, she could persuade her parents to pay for lessons. Deep down, she knew she could. Her parents usually gave in eventually. Boarding school had been an exception up until now.

Suddenly she realised that she hadn't read anything but the captions and turned back to the first page.

The school was _old_, she discovered. It had been founded in Austria before the Second World War, moved several times during the war, and now they had a branch in Wales and one in Switzerland, plus a finishing branch.

She skipped the boring bits about lessons to get to the more interesting things, like where she would sleep. The picture of the cubicle was inviting with brightly coloured floral curtains. She'd always wanted a sister she could whisper to at night; now she would have several.

Jo continued flipping through the pages. This was going to be fun and for once, she couldn't wait for school to start.

~*~

"Shouldn't you be in school?" There was a youngish man in a pinstriped suit sitting at the table with the clock in pieces in front of him. For some reason he didn't look out of place in the kitchen, as most boarders did, surrounded by her aunt's beakers and Bunsen burners, which she used interchangeably with the Aga stove.

Sarah stared for a moment, before saying, "You must be the new boarder." Her aunt been interviewing people for the last fortnight and it was about time she found someone she approved of. All Sarah cared about was that the other boarders didn't decide that it was their job to tattle on her or discipline her.

"Doctor Smith. I hope I'm not too much of a nuisance. Not the new boarder, though. I'd come to consult with your aunt about something and noticed your clock was broken." He made a slight adjustment to the gears.

She smiled at him, wondering whether he had lost his comb. He didn't look like a hippie. "I'm Sarah." Which was silly, because her aunt must have told him about her.

"Pleased to meet you." He grinned back at her. Sarah Jane Smith, aged fourteen. Even shorter than she'd been when she'd sneaked into his TARDIS all those years ago, though he'd recognised her in an instant. "You didn't answer my question."

So much for evading nemesis. "I'm skiving. Aunt Lavinia was busy, so I took the train up to London." Without telling her aunt. "School's finished in a fortnight, though. I dunno if I'm going back." After Andrea's death, her aunt had asked if she felt comfortable returning to the school for the next year and she had said "yes" out of a sense of pride, but she hated every minute she spent there and everything reminded her of her friend. "We weren't happy with each other at all. I objected to a curriculum from the middle ages and they objected to me mixing chemicals together and causing a stink to get out of darning lesson. _Darning lesson_. Why aren't they teaching us car repair? That would be much more useful." Sarah made a face. "I don't know why they were so upset, but I couldn't see the point in sticking around. "She supposed she could have lied, but whatever her other faults were, she was honest.

"Was it deliberate?" His eyes definitely twinkled and she thought he might understand. Aunt Lavinia had tried after Andrea's death, but Sarah had never felt like her aunt knew what she was going through.

"Of course." Sarah looked insulted. "My aunt is a scientist. I know my way around a lab." She started rummaging in the fridge for a snack. "So, what are you doing?" Having found a hunk of cheese and an apple, she sat down to watch him work. "Would you like an apple?"

"Fixing the clock. It was losing time." He'd started putting the pieces back together with a speed that surprised her and made her wonder if it would actually work when he was done. If she had done it, her aunt would have grounded her for a week. Even if it _had_ worked afterwards.

Suddenly the door flew open. "Sarah Jane Smith, come here this instant." Lavinia Smith stopped abruptly when she realised her niece was actually in the room, calmly eating an apple.

"Yes, Aunt Lavinia," Sarah said, a little too sweetly.

"Did it ever occur to you to call me, rather than just wandering off without a word to anyone?"

"Why? What did I do this time?" Sarah asked calmly. She noticed Dr Smith looked awkward, but her aunt thus far hadn't noticed him and Sarah wasn't about to remind her that they were discussing this in front of a total stranger.

"Let's just say this was the last straw," her aunt said grimly. "He's informed me that you won't be permitted back for summer term. I know Andrea's death was hard, but you could try to be friendlier with your other classmates and perhaps focus on your school work instead of getting into trouble." She sighed dramatically. "Not that it matters. I've accepted a position at a Sanatorium in Switzerland, working with some of the top names in TB. You'll be going to the school associated with the San. Perhaps a change of scenery will do you good."

"But I'm not ill. Why can't you just teach me yourself?" Sarah caught herself before her tone descended into a whine. She prided herself on being a little more mature than that. Especially in front of strangers. "And what about the new boarder?"

"The school was started by the head of the San's sister-in-law. Some of the students have relatives at the hospital, and the staff keeps a rather strict eye on the health of the girls, but from what I understand, it's a very good school. High academic standards." Lavinia patted Sarah on the shoulder. "From what Jack Maynard was telling me, they've got several girls who had problems at other schools, who seem to have found a place there and I made certain they had a good science curriculum before I made the arrangements." She reeled off several famous scientists who had been at the school. "And as for the new boarders, I've actually been interviewing to rent the place out while we're gone."

Sarah frowned, but she didn't argue. She knew that if she didn't go there, she'd end up at some other school. One school was the same as another as far as she was concerned. At least this way she'd be close to her aunt. She wondered if she'd be able to see her during term time.

"Fine, that's settled then," she said slightly petulantly. "I'll try to get along, Aunt Lavinia, for your sake." Her aunt was clearly excited about the opportunity. How many times had Sarah heard her rave about Jack Maynard's research? Sarah was _not_ going to spoil this for her, no matter what her personal feelings were.

Dr Smith had been following this conversation with interest, and now he interjected, "Jack Maynard, brilliant scientist. I worked with him at one point. Not that he'd remember me. Long story that. Might be best if you didn't even mention me to him." Especially since they hadn't actually met yet. Best not to mention that to Sarah and her aunt yet either.

Lavinia looked at him thoughtfully, and started asking questions about Dr Maynard and his work, which Dr Smith answered readily. From there the conversation ranged into more technical areas. Sarah listened with half an ear and concentrated on finishing her snack. Some of the discussion went over her head, but she had picked up enough science from her aunt's explanations and books to follow most of the conversation and Dr Smith turned out to be a very entertaining speaker.

He was extrapolating on some of the recent advancements in biological research, when Aunt Lavinia finally interrupted him." But you never did tell me why you were here- or who sent you."

Dr Smith looked taken aback and a bit flustered. "I- well, um- Dr Levinger sent me over. Said you might be available for a consultation on an influenza strain I was trying to track down."

It sounded to Sarah like he had come up with this story on the spur of the moment, but her aunt seemed to accept it readily enough, and as Dr Smith made a lovely distraction from her jaunt to Covent Garden, she wasn't about to suggest otherwise.

"I'm afraid it won't be possible. Sarah's new school starts their summer term less than a fortnight after the spring term here finishes, so all my research will be put aside for the moment while I prepare for the move. Afterwards, I'll be focusing almost exclusively on TB."

"I understand completely, Dr Smith."

Sarah giggled slightly. Somehow she hadn't remembered that her aunt was also Dr Smith.

The other Dr Smith rose to hang up the clock, which now seemed to be working perfectly. "It has been a pleasure, Dr Smith. Sarah." He shook both of their hands energetically. A very great pleasure indeed. And if I may? A gift for Sarah. Perhaps it will make her new school a little more bearable. No, don't open it now. Save it for after you start school." He handed her a box about the size and shape of a cigar box. "It's a puzzle box, but I'm not going to tell you the solution. I suspect you're bright enough to figure it out for yourself. Don't worry, it's not anything the school would view as contraband. I don't think." The last bit was muttered, but Sarah heard it quite clearly.

"Thank you." Sarah grinned at him. She hadn't smiled this much since- but best not to think of that. "Will we see you again?"

"You might." He winked at her. "I always show up when I'm least expected."

Her aunt walked him to the door and Sarah examined the box while they were gone.

Later, after she served her punishment (which involved helping her aunt sort through what they would be taking with them to Switzerland instead of curling up in a corner with a book and trying to block out the world) she went to bed. She didn't fall asleep immediately, but for once it wasn't thoughts of Andrea that consumed her. Instead she had the prospect of a new school and Dr Smith's gift to occupy her mind.

If nothing else, her aunt clearly wanted Sarah near her. As the girl had always suspected that Dr Lavinia Smith's scientific work came first and her niece second, this made her feel a little better about herself. She wasn't, after all, being sent _away_ which she had feared, deep down. She wasn't going to lose someone else. That being decided, she rolled over and fell into a more peaceful sleep than she had had in weeks.

~*~

"You can't be serious, Professor? _Boarding school_?" Ace gave him a dark look. She'd thought she was done with school for good. Travelling with the Professor had taught her so much more than she could ever learn in any stupid school. She ignored him, focusing instead on the new batch of Nitro-9 she was mixing up.

"We need to know what's going on inside the school and I can hardly pass for a teenage girl, Ace." The Doctor twirled his umbrella, being careful not to disturb any of the equipment in the lab. "Or even a school master. The only male teachers in the place are music teachers, and I doubt they're interested in having an instructor to teach the spoons." He hung his umbrella over a chair, and pulling his spoons out of his pocket, gave her an impromptu demonstration.

"Probably not, Professor," Ace replied, carefully measuring out chemicals. She wondered if she could get away with blowing up this school like she had her previous one. At least, given that that was about fifteen years in the future from when she'd be, she wouldn't be starting this school with _that_ on her record.

The Doctor studied her carefully. "You'll be under cover. Perhaps that will take the sting out of going back to school. And the moment we're done, I'll take you out again."

"You promise, Professor?" Ace looked dubious. "I suppose I'll have to go all girly in a uniform. I'm keeping my jacket though."

"I don't think so, Ace," he said gently. "It's 1965, your jacket would be anachronistic and you'd probably get into trouble for not wearing the school uniform. We can't risk having you thrown out the first day, now, can we? I've put your uniform in your room."

"But, Professor...." She glared at him.

"Ace, I'm sorry, but it's settled. I need you to be my eyes and ears inside that building or we'll never figure out what's going on." He gave her that smug look he always got when he'd done something clever.

She turned on her heel and walked out of the lab. It wasn't until she was in her room with the door closed and locked that she allowed her self to let loose with a string of words that no girl her age should be familiar with. She was willing to wear a dress if pressed, but the thought of a strict Swiss boarding school was just too much. She hoped the Professor had been serious about taking her out as soon as the problem was solved. This merely strengthened her resolve to sort this out as soon as possible and go back to travelling the universe in the TARDIS.

~*~

Joey breezed into the staff room just as the mistresses were about to start the first organisational meeting of the term. With a cheery hello, she pulled up a chair and dropped a choice box of chocolates on the table. "A gift from one of our distinguished alumni." She blinked, suddenly. "Barbara Wright. When did you get here? Have you joined the staff here, then? I thought you were staying in England."

Barbara grinned at her. A former pupil of the school, her people had elected to keep her at the Welsh branch for her last year when the school moved back to Switzerland, but they had managed a finishing year for her at St. Mildred's before going in for a history degree at Oxford. "That was the original plan, but Stacie Benson mentioned that you were in a fix, with Miss Charlesworth's accident last term. I'd always wished I'd had more time out here, so I jumped at the chance."

Not that she'd reveal this to anyone at the school, but they had helped her out of a huge bind. When she and Ian had arrived back in 1965 with two years lost out of both her life and CV, she had known that all she'd have to do was contact her old school with a plausible story and that they'd give her a job. Ian had more of a struggle, and he still hadn't found a position, though he had hopes of a place next September.

"I was called to India because of a family emergency. Ian offered to accompany me and there were several times I was very happy to have a man to manage things. We became very close. But somehow the notification to the school went awry so that when we returned we no longer had our positions. We won't marry until we've got a bit of a nest egg put by. Until then, I'm all yours." She and Ian had worked out this story together and Barbara chafed slightly at the implication that she was so helpless that she needed a man for such things, but they had decided that given the time and the culture it would be more plausible than them both having simultaneous emergencies.

She flashed her ring under Joey's nose to distract her from any gaps in her story. It worked like a charm and for the next few minutes, the chatter was all about Ian and their plans for the future.

When Miss Annersley finally called the meeting to order, she gave Joey a look."I presume you're staying."

"Hence the chocolatey bribe. Felicity is nowhere near as talkative as the other three were, so nowadays if I want to hear the news, I need to get it from the source." She gave the Head a grin before selecting a choice chocolate, and passing the box around.

"Well, to get things started we've got three new girls this term. I know we don't normally take new students during the summer term, but this was unavoidable. Two are fourteen and the third's fifteen but they all tested well enough to be put into Inter V, which is good as that's a small form this term."

Kathy Ferrars grimaced at that. "Maybe slightly smaller than usual, but I wouldn't call it _small_." She didn't even bother mentioning that her form was filled with troublemakers already. Everyone at the table knew that.

"You have twenty-three and this will only bring it up to twenty-six. Vb and IVa are both over twenty-five already, so I'd rather not put them higher or lower. If they can't manage the work, I'll put them down, but only as a last resort." The Head glanced down at the papers in front of her. "The fifteen year old is Ace McShane. I somehow don't think that's her given name, but her guardian was most insistent."

"I'd turn a blind eye to it. If it's the name she and her guardian are most comfortable with, it's not worth fighting over," Joey commented.

"Exactly my reaction. Her guardian is a bit unusual, an eccentric professor, and while she has been to school before, since she has been in his care he's been tutoring her. He didn't say as much, but I suspect that like Verity Carey and Rikki Fry, she's been taught along strange lines. I don't quite know what to expect from her. She was quite strong in some areas, and very weak in others. She seems to have competent, but not fluent French and German, so that's a plus." The school was trilingual, and lessons were taught in all three languages.

"The second student is the daughter of one of our former pupils, Amanda Grant, who used to be Amanda March. Her father has been stationed in India and his wife will travel with him. Since the girl had expressed an interest in going to boarding school, they decided it was better to send her here than to take her with them. Her name is Jo Grant, so we've got another Josephine in the school." Miss Annersley gave Joey an impish grin.

"The third and last pupil, is the niece of Dr Lavinia Smith, who will be joining the research staff at the San."

"Jack's been raving about her work. I gather it was a coup to get her." Joey stole another chocolate, and waited for the Head to continue.

"She's been responsible for her niece, Sarah Jane, since her brother and his wife passed away in a car accident when Sarah was young. Originally, she was going to leave the girl at the school she was attending to finish out the term and bring her out next year- but Sarah had a friend who died in an accident a year ago. Before then, the girl had a similar record to Ted's. Bright, but prone to mischief- the same sort of nice naughtiness, with a dash of thoughtlessness in the mix, but the death of her friend seems to have thrown her badly off track. She was present when her friend died, and Dr Smith believes that she's blaming herself for failing to save Andrea and her behaviour is growing more and more reckless. I'm hoping we'll be able to help her through this before she completely falls apart." She paused. "Dr Smith specifically inquired after our science curriculum, as Sarah wasn't being challenged enough in her old school."

"That particular problem might take care of itself, then. Between lessons in three languages and our curriculum, she should find herself too busy to get into mischief. Do either of them speak French or German? I know you said Ace did," Kathie asked curiously.

"Jo's mother mentioned that Jo had a knack for languages and that she was fluent in French, but I suspect from the way she talked about her daughter, that Jo has both of her parents wrapped around her little finger. There's no way to know if that's parental exaggeration or truth until she gets here, but she seems to have basic grammar down. She has almost no German," Miss Annersley replied crisply. "And while I get the impression Sarah was more interested in mischief than her work, she seems to have picked up a reading facility for both languages from reading her aunt's scientific journals. She's ended up with a vocabulary that's mostly scientific, and her oral exam was riddled with mispronunciations."

"So it will be an uphill battle with all three," Kathie said with a sigh. "You don't make my life easy," she added lightly.

"All I hope is that this will be a peaceful term," Rosalie said. "Last term was outside of enough, between the blizzard, the mudslide, and that silly girl, Emma."

"She's settled down quite a bit since that scare," commented Miss Bertram.

"After what happened to Miss Charlesworth, I should hope so. The doctors say she might never walk without a cane," Jo said sombrely. "Though perhaps it was the best thing for her. Perhaps next time, Emma will think before she leaps into any scrapes of that sort."

"Now I know I'm back at the Chalet School." Barbara grinned at the rest of the teachers. "You'll have to tell me more of the juiciest stories, so I'm not caught off guard."

"Most certainly. Why don't you come to tea on Saturday at Freudesheim and I'll fill you in on the worst of it? And as for the rest of you," Joey's eyes glinted with humour, "remember that in a month or so, I'll be very busy, so _try_ to have a quiet term for once. I won't be around to butt in, and sort out any problem pupils."

"I can't believe you're taking this on, Joey. Weren't eleven enough? Plus all your wards- I don't know how you're going to manage. You won't have the Trips to lean on soon."

"They'll finish the year at St. Mildred's. But somehow what happened during the winter term with Clara convinced Margot that the nunnery wasn't for her, and better she realised that now than later on down the road," she said rapidly, quelling their exclamations of shock. "If she doesn't have a true vocation, she shouldn't be choosing that life." Margot was the youngest of her triplets, and had shocked everyone the year before by deciding that she was going into orders, as before that she had a history of scrapes and a sharp temper. "She's accepted a place at a hospital in Cardiff, where she'll study to be a doctor. So she'll be home next week and will give me a hand, at least until I'm back on my feet. She's arranged to be a day student at St. Mildred's - the weather shouldn't be a problem at this time of year - and swot up on biology and science on the side in preparation for her course."

"You're right, of course, Jo. If she's not suited for the work, leaving was the best choice. How is Jack taking it?" Miss Annersley asked thoughtfully.

"He was very quick to offer her a post at the San when she finished her studies, if she was interested. I suspect that was what he had hoped for when she first expressed an interest in medicine. None of my older boys have shown an interest, and he's very happy that one of the girls has. She'll be on hand if you people need a hand with the sale. Which is just as well, as I probably won't be."

"That reminds me- there was a letter in the last post from Tom Gay. Not only will she be providing her usual doll house, she'll be bringing it out herself." Tom was a former pupil of the school, who had become best known for the amazing doll houses she constructed, even before she left school. She had continued the custom, sending a new house each year to be raffled off. It was always one of the moneymakers of the sale, which raised funds for the San.


	2. Arrivals

Sarah and her aunt had arrived a week early. This was so unlike Sarah's scatterbrained aunt's usual methods, that Sarah suspected that this was due to her aunt's eagerness to get settled and get on with her own work. She planned to take advantage of the freedom this granted her and didn't worry over much about her aunt's motives.

They settled in a pretty, little cottage that was split into two flats, Aunt Lavinia stating that since Sarah would be boarding at the school and she would be spending most of her time at the San, there was no need for much space. Still, there were five rooms plus the kitchen and that meant that Sarah could have her own room during the hols, even if it was small. The cubie she would be assigned at the school would probably be smaller.

The day after they'd arrived, when they'd finished unpacking- or at least as much as Aunt Lavinia deemed necessary, Sarah was sent out to explore whilst her aunt organised her study. She had to admit that if they had moved for a change of scenery, they had been very successful. The mountains were rather awe inspiring as long as she looked up. Looking down still brought memories of Andrea dangling beneath her, so she avoided that as much as possible. She was standing in the garden admiring the Jungfrau, when a girl darted out of the other flat and ran straight into her.

"Oi. Watch where you're going." Sarah snapped automatically, then suddenly wondered if she should have spoken in French or German. But she was too startled to construct a proper sentence and she couldn't remember which one was spoken here.

"Sorry. Just trying to get to the shop before it closes. I'm Ace McShane, by the way. Let me give you a hand." She stood up and grabbed Sarah's hand to pull her up none too gently.

"Sarah Jane Smith. Do you go to the Chalet School?" She stood with Ace's help, dusted herself off and, deciding it would be silly to storm off in a huff, started walking alongside the other girl instead.

"Starting next term. You?" The other girl seemed a bit _too_ nice, but Ace needed to start her investigation somewhere and the fact that she was wearing jeans rather than a prissy dress was reassuring. Somehow she'd got the impression that boarding school girls of this era were always perfectly put together in dainty frocks, even when not at school.

"The same. My aunt just got a position at the San." Sarah studied the other girl, admiring her forthrightness and determined stride. She tried to match it and, not for the first time, cursed her short legs. The two girls continued their conversation as they walked towards town and to their surprise, by the time they walked back they were well on the way to becoming friends.

When they got back, Sarah took a quick glance inside the flat and surveyed the disaster that surrounded Aunt Lavinia, before deciding it was too early to go back in. Ace ended up inviting Sarah to tea, where the Doctor gave her a bemused glance, played the spoons on her knee and made her laugh with his absurdities.

By the time Sarah went back home, Aunt Lavinia's study was tidy and she was curled up in a chair with a cup of tea and a scholarly tome. Knowing what her aunt would like to hear, Sarah made a point of detailing her day with Ace.

"So you've made a friend from the school. That's good." Lavinia wouldn't have admitted it to her niece, but she had worried about Sarah's inability to connect with her classmates since Andrea's death.

"I think so. It's early days, though," Sarah replied cautiously.

After Sarah left, the Doctor turned to Ace and said, "If you _must_ be friends with Sarah, promise me that the two of you won't burn down the school. It would be a bit awkward." The Doctor grinned at her, as though he wasn't too upset.

"I promise. No fires. No explosives. Unless they're necessary to save the world." They would be. Ace was certain of that. Even if she had to arrange things personally. And if she could blow up the school in the process, that might be an added bonus.

"I'm not sure I trust either of you not to cause trouble." Sticking Ace and Sarah in the same form had made him wary, but the two of them working together was intrinsic to his plan.

But for the moment, Ace and Sarah indulged in more acceptable pursuits and their friendship grew quickly, as they commiserated over the lameness of the school uniform and traded chemical recipes which might be useful in future pranks. Ace was very thankful to have found a kindred spirit so quickly. Sarah might make boarding school bearable after all. At least she'd have someone to talk to who wasn't all "up the school". By the time the week was up they had explored up and down the Görnetz Platz despite almost constant drizzle punctuated by thunderstorms, getting into mild mischief and even peeking in at the school (not that they would have admitted it to the Doctor or Aunt Lavinia), and they were both almost reconciled to having to go to boarding school.

Sarah still had nightmares about Andrea's death, but she kept those to herself. In Ace, perhaps, she had found a friend like Andrea- who would pull her into mad adventures when left to her own devices she would have been boringly obedient. But she was more adventurous now- as if she was daring death to come back and get her.

Dr Smith was too busy settling in to her new job at the Sanatorium to pay much attention to Sarah and her new friend. And they didn't actually do anything that would cause the denizens of the Platz to draw her attention to their activities. Both understood the value of lying low and staying out of the sort of trouble that would draw the attention of their guardians and the school. They both understood the value of starting out at school without _that_ hanging over their heads.

The Doctor, as far as Ace could tell, was idling his days away, working in the garden of the flat they had rented and reading a strange assortment of books. Ace hadn't been able to resist teasing him when she discovered that he'd acquired a few of the local celebrity author's novels from the hotel's gift shop.

"You can't possibly be interested in those, Professor." Of all the things that she would have expected to appeal to him, books centred around teenage girls at school would have been the last on the list.

"They're a delightful portrait of school life... the sort of life you're about to embark on. Perhaps you should read them. Useful research and all that. Presumably she's writing about the school she's attached to, which you will be attending." There was still so much he didn't know about humans, even after all these years, and this was an experience he would never have. Even if the books were meant to be wholesome, there was still some truth to them.

"I read those when I was in infant school," Ace scorned, though she filched one of the novels and brought it over to Sarah's later that day.

"I've read that one, I think. I prefer SF stories. Boarding school's so boring, all studies and sport and midnight feasts. Give me something with some adventure."

"I know what you mean. But still, the Professor had a point. If she's writing about a school, it's probably the one she's most familiar with."

"True, let's see." Sarah proceeded to read aloud from the first chapter with critical commentary. "I think we're both going to be the girls who don't fit in."

"We'll have each other. So where does she describe the rubbish school uniform?"

"Here we go, tan and lavender."

"God, the Chalet School's uniform's colours are better than that. At least blue's a decent colour."

"Better than my last uniform too. Brown with a yellow check blouse. I don't think anyone looked good in it. And I like their idea of summer frocks in the same pattern, but whatever colour you choose."

"I do too. Though the Professor put his foot down, when I said I wanted one in black." As Ace had known he would. She had felt obliged to try, though.

"I don't blame you in the slightest." Sarah turned back to the book. "Let's see what else we can find to be sarky about. Best to get it out of our system now."

"Sounds like a plan." Ace leaned over and they continued through the book making snide comments about what they expected the school would be like and becoming close friends in the process.

~*~

Jo hesitated before entering the carriage. Such a large group of unknown girls all chattering happily. She wasn't shy usually, but she felt overwhelmed. So she stood in the doorway, studying the girls and tried to work up her courage to interrupt one of the conversations to introduce herself. Instead she admired the colourful uniform frocks, unconsciously attempting to straighten her own, which had gone somewhat askew in the rush to the train.

To her relief, one of the mistresses noticed her, and introduced herself as Miss Wilmot. Jo couldn't help but like how her blue eyes danced as she led Jo over to a chattering group of girls. "These are Althea Glenyon, Robina McQueen and Samaris Davies. Girls, this is Josephine Grant, who will probably also be in your form."

Althea grinned up at her with an engaging smile as she started moving magazines, chocolates and brollies off the unused seat, gesturing at the other two to help her. They made quick work of clearing up and Althea turned to Jo and asked, "aisle or window?".

"Aisle is fine with me," Jo replied, shoving her case up with the others in the rack. She'd much rather talk than watch the scenery.

Jo studied the other girls wondering if they'd end up being friends. She herself was a bit of a chatterbox. But she'd read enough boarding school stories to know better than to try to stick her oar in yet. Best to wait until the other girls knew her better and the other girls had accepted her as one of their own. She didn't doubt it would happen. She'd been well-liked at her old school for her good nature and generous heart, and was accustomed to being on friendly terms with her classmates.

Althea and the others didn't give her a chance to be shy though.

"So we've got another Josephine. Do you have a short or must we use the whole thing?" Robina sounded so mournful at the thought that Jo had to laugh.

"I'm Jo mostly, except to teachers."

"The teachers here will call you Jo if you want. If they ever had a rule about no nicknames, they don't any more. You weren't named after Joey Maynard, were you?" Althea brought out a box of chocs and passed them around as she spoke.

"No, mum's quite specific about the fact that I'm named after her mother. Though she said that other former pupils had done so." Jo remembered the packet of biscuits, her mum had shoved in her case at the last moment and stood up to get it, but slipped and ended up in an awkward heap in the aisle with her case on top of her.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not at all." Jo stuck the case on her seat and dusted herself off, thankful to see she hadn't ripped her dress. "I'm afraid you'll find that I'm horribly clumsy. Mum said she hoped the school could knock some poise into my head, since she'd never been able to."

"Your back's rather dusty. Shall I brush you off?"

"Thank you."

Robina offered to stick the case back up for her, and after Jo retrieved the biscuits, she agreed, thankfully. Opening the pack, she passed it around and they returned to their conversation.

The other three were quick to offer up tidbits about the school and its most famous pupil.

"Does she really come and visit the school? Isn't she very busy with her writing?" Jo had never met a real author before and the thought that she might meet her very favourite one filled her with joy.

"She likes to keep her oar in. And she'll probably invite you to tea. She does that for all the new girls," Sam explained.

Jo wasn't sure the girls weren't playing a prank on the new girl, but being a good sport about such things, she nodded and played along.

Soon enough, the conversation shifted to other things. Robina asked Jo. "What sport do you play? We usually do cricket and tennis during summer term and, of course, swimming, but that's scheduled separately as we don't have a bath and it's a bit of a trip."

Jo grinned and said, "Tennis. Are there teams or do you just mess about? Or do you compete by forms or something?"

The girls were amused by that. "Teams. We've quite a few fixtures with neighbouring schools. And matches between forms as well."

"Oh, are there other schools around? I thought you were more isolated." Geography was not Jo's strong suit.

"There's St. Hilda's and St. Cecile's. They're the closest," Althea explained. "Plus the Millies- St. Mildred's, our finishing school. We get in some good games this term. And we should be going down for swimming regularly, especially if there's a heat wave. Plus we've got the fête to look forward to."

"We have a fête every summer term to support the poor parish in Innsbruck, where the Chalet School started," Robina explained. "We sell the things we make during the year in our hobbies club and many of the old girls contribute too."

"I'm not very good at making things," Jo couldn't help saying. She couldn't imagine making anything that someone else would want to buy.

"Oh, we'll find something," Sam reassured her. "The school has had lots of experience at this."

"It does sound smashing," Jo admitted. She hoped she would be able to live up to the standard of the rest of the school.

"'Ware." Althea said. "Smashing's strictly verboten here. They're strict about slang, and if you're not careful fines will eat up your spending money. It should be fine now, since term hasn't started and you're new, but watch out."

"I'll try. At least on French and German days, I won't have to worry about that. But I'm terrified about having to speak those languages all day." Her mother had assured her that people would help her out, but she still didn't know how she would manage.

"We'll all help, and if you ask the staff they'll give you phrases to repeat back to them. And after hearing it all day, twice a week, before long you'll be chattering in French and German like the rest of us," Robina was quick to reply. "We'll all help you, I promise."

"Thanks. I appreciate this." Her mum hadn't lied when she'd said that the school put a premium on making new girls feel welcome.

The girls' talk turned to their holidays, and their plans for the term and Jo listened eagerly with a bright grin on her face. This was even better than she had expected.


	3. First Day

Sarah and Ace got to the school a little early and stood on the edges of things, holding their umbrellas and cases and wishing the rain would stop, while the mistresses prepared to meet the coaches, unsure of what they should do next.

"Hello, girls." After about fifteen minutes, a mistress finally noticed them and walked over. "I'm Miss Ferrars, you must be the new girls." She and the other mistresses had caught glimpses of them over the past week as they explored. "Which of you is Sarah Jane and which is Ace?"

"I'm Sarah Jane Smith and this is Ace McShane," Sarah said. "My aunt dropped us off, so we're a little early."

"We weren't quite sure where to go, so we thought if we waited here, someone would tell us," Ace added.

"And I shall," Miss Ferrars smiled brightly at them. "For now, you're to be with my own form, Inter V. Judging by your tests, you should both be able to handle the work Most of the girls are fourteen and fifteen." She turned to the pupil beside her. "Val, could you sheepdog these two for a moment while we get the coaches settled? Once everyone's here, I'll assign another sheepdog for Ace. Why don't you stand on the steps under the eaves? It will keep you dry at least."

"No problem." Val grinned. "Ace. That's an interesting name. I bet Mrs Maynard will pounce on it for one of her books."

"Will she now?" Ace had threatened the Doctor with bloody murder if he had put her real name down on the roster. Not for anything would she admit to anyone here that she'd been born Dorothy. "I'd be honoured." Somehow she managed to keep most of the sarcasm out of her voice. Partially because it was flattering in a way.

Val grinned at her before turning to Sarah. "Is it Sarah or Sarah Jane for everyday?"

Sarah couldn't help grinning back. "I'll answer to either, but don't you dare call me SJ."

"Fair enough." She led them off to the side. "We should be out of the way here. And there are the coaches. Once the girls have sorted themselves, we can go join them."

~*~

Jo peered out the window as the coaches turned through the white gates onto the drive. They stopped at the main building and she alighted with the rest. She hadn't realised just how large the school would be, but the hordes of excited schoolgirls were a bit overwhelming. She noticed the men unpacking their cases from the coaches onto hand trolleys, but was immediately distracted by one of the mistresses calling "Form lines."

She watched as the girls queued up under brightly coloured umbrellas, uncertain where to go, but Althea, who was right behind her said, "I just asked Miss Wilmot, you'll be in our form. Inter V is-" she looked around -ah, I see Val. Robina, Sam-"

"We're right behind you," Sam answered, before turning to Jo. "We've got Ferry for our form mistress. Miss Ferrars. She's a poppet, but terribly on the spot as well."

Jo just walked in a daze as the others chattered around her. She was really here. At boarding school. It didn't seem real, but it was. She was shaken out of her reverie by Althea's muttered "hush".

She looked up to see another mistress on standing in the doorway, waving her hands for silence. This must be the Head, Miss Annersley.

"Welcome back, everyone. I hope everyone's looking forward to this term. When you come in, head straight to your splasheries, change your shoes, and then go quietly to the Speisesaal, where a good meal will be waiting for you. After that you may go into Hall, where the dormitory lists will be posted on the notice-boards. Once you have checked for your dormitory, go there at once, find your cubicle and unpack your night-case. After that, Matron will begin unpacking trunks starting with the Juniors. Middles and Seniors may go to your common rooms and read or chat. Matron will let you know when she is ready for you. That is all. School-turn! Forward march."

Jo followed along as they marched into a side door and dispersed into the splasheries, where they tidied themselves for Abendessen. She remembered reading in the prospectus that they were in a German canton of Switzerland and had adopted many German customs and expressions.

~*~

Soon everyone had settled down in the Speisesaal to eat. Sarah and Ace, both remembering the quality of the food at their former schools were unprepared for the delicious soup followed by chicken in gravy with jacket potatoes. The meal was finished off with slices of apple strudel. Sarah couldn't help murmuring to Ace that it was better than her aunt's cooking.

During the meal, Sarah had sat quietly, listening as the rest of the form explained the ways of the Chalet School and admiring the way the school had made the room such a pleasant place to eat, forgoing standard crockery and furniture for brightly coloured glasses and carved wood. She answered when spoken to, but the prickly barrier she'd erected when Andrea died was still wrapped tightly around her. A combination of fragility and not wanting to chance letting anyone close and then losing them again.

Occasionally, Jo or Ace would interrupt with a question, but Sarah didn't feel the need to. She hoped to be a reporter someday, and she knew that the best way to learn things was to listen. Besides the other two were asking all the right questions. Still, she found she couldn't just sit silently as Val had other ideas. Having failed in her first sheepdogging assignment, she was determined to do her best by Sarah.

After the meal, the three new girls followed the rest of their form into the hall. Althea read out the list, establishing that she was in Gentian with Sarah; Robina and Jo were in Pansy; and Ace and Val were in Violet.

"Probably didn't want to stick all the new girls together," Ace said cheerfully. "Lead on, Macduff. Or however that quote goes."

With a grin, Althea led them up to the dorms where they sorted themselves out. Jo was delighted with the delicate prints on the curtains that surrounded their cubies (as the others called them) and with the fact that she had half a window. Ace privately thought the flower patterns were a bit much, but reminded herself to grin and bear it, and that it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

Althea and Sarah left the others and headed to Gentian, where Althea gave the new girl the quick tour of where everything was to be kept and how to read the bath chart. "Cold or chill off only in the mornings. And be quick, you don't want to delay whomever is after you." Sarah nodded. She didn't much like the idea of cold showers, but she supposed there wouldn't be enough hot water for all the girls. The rest she could deal with. She was a tidy creature by nature. She unpacked her case as directed by Althea while she waited for her turn in the bathroom. There was a place for everything here which, given the limited space, made things easier.

After Abendessen, Miss Annersley stood to make a few announcements about what they could expect this term. "We have matches with both the other schools, in both tennis and cricket, the fête, and, of course this is exam term, so we'll be rather busy. But I know you'll all do your best. And now, I'd like to introduce an old girl of the school, Barbara Wright, who has come to take Miss Charlesworth's place. And I'm pleased to tell you that Miss Charlesworth is doing much better. She should be back on her feet before too long, and back with us in the autumn." Here she had to pause as the school gave Miss Charlesworth a cheer. "Still, we're glad to have got Miss Wright, who will be taking history and sharing the Latin with Miss Benson. Would you like to say a few words, Miss Wright?"

Barbara grinned and stood up, thinking how different this world was from her travels with the Doctor. "I can't tell you how glad I am to be here. Even though I spent most of my school days at the English branch, it feels like I've come home. I can assure you that I've seen it all, so don't expect any leniency just because I'm new here. You do your best, and I'll do mine, and I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

This got another cheer from the assembly, and moved Val to murmur to the girls nearest her, "I like her. She seems jolly, but I bet she's sharp as a tack."

"We've been awfully lucky for mistresses here," Marie Diderot agreed. "They make the lessons fun, but they don't let us get away with much."

Ace looked thoughtful. "I think I had one teacher like that at my old school. The rest never bothered to make lessons interesting at all, or even attempted to keep order. But then it was a state school, and not in a very good area." And twenty years later, though she figured it had been just as bad at this time. It was a calculated risk admitting that, but the impression she'd got so far was that none of the girls were snobs and she would have given it away sooner or later. It was easier to deal with the twenty year gap than it would be not to slip with her accent.

Val grinned at her. "Aren't you glad you're here, then? I can't see how anyone can learn anything if no one's paying attention. It's too distracting."

The others chimed in their agreement, and by the time the talk had turned to other things, Ace was sure that none of them would hold her lower class origins against her and that perhaps, being an undercover schoolgirl might not be as bad as she expected.


	4. Tea with Joey

The girls had been at the Chalet School a fortnight when Joey invited them to tea.

It was Saturday, but a torrential rain kept the girls inside. After their usual period of prep, mending and letter-writing, they would normally have gone on walks or had games, but the weather prevented this. Several of the girls were sitting in the common room, some working at crafts, some reading, some just chatting.

"Tea with Mrs Maynard? Why? She must be busy with her next book," Ace asked. She had ended up working at a jigsaw with a few other girls.

"She's the oldest girl of the school and she likes to keep her fingers in." Val Pertwee answered. "D'you have any more of this blue? I think it's the lake, not the sky."

Jo stared, wide-eyed, too stunned to speak, forgetting the piece she had been about to place. Tea with her favourite author. The idea was just gaudy. Even having to share it with Ace and Sarah couldn't ruin this for her.

Sarah just buried herself further into her book. She supposed she'd have to go and be polite. Grown-ups always seemed to be checking up on her these days and if Joey Maynard was as closely connected to the school as everyone said, Sarah was sure she knew the whole story. All she could do was hope that Mrs Maynard had enough tact not to mention it in front of the others.

"Just us? I mean, do we go alone or with a mistress?" Ace wondered why she was the only one asking questions. Though if she could have got away with it, she would have mimicked Sarah's pretence of indifference.

"Yes. There's a gate in the fence. Someone will show you. Mrs Maynard's teas are scrummy." Robina looked envious. "Don't forget to ask Miss Annersley for permission."

As if they would forget. Politeness was highly valued here.

~*~

So they sought out Miss Annersley and with permission duly granted, the next day they followed Jack Lambert as she led them out the side door along a path that sported a shrubbery on one side and a low wall on the other. For once, the weather had cooperated, and though the sky hadn't cleared, at least it wasn't raining. "It's just through there," Jack said, gesturing at the gate. "Just follow the path and you can't go wrong. Have a good time, and don't fret too much. She doesn't eat people."

Jo giggled nervously; Jack was clearly referring to her. She envied the other two their nonchalance.

Ace, meanwhile, went through the gate and started down the path, trusting the others to follow after. She didn't see the point of dawdling, and her classmates unstinting praise of Mrs Maynard had made her suspicious. No one was that admired.

After a moment, Sarah followed Ace. The sooner she started, the sooner this ordeal would be over.

Finally Jo gathered up her courage and ran after the other two. She didn't want to embarrass herself by being late.

They followed the path as directed, around the house to the front door. Taking the two steps in one stride, Ace rapped briskly on the door, before the other girls had time to think.

A tall, smiling woman opened the door. "Ace, Sarah and Jo. So which is which?"

"I'm Ace, Jo's the blonde and Sarah's the short one." She would have called Jo short too, but she didn't know her as well as she knew Sarah and she was supposed to be behaving herself.

Sarah made a hrmph noise, but held out her hand to be shaken.

Jo was staring so hard she needed an elbow to remind her to be polite, and Sarah and Ace shared a glance to the effect of "so that's how this will go".

"I'm so sorry I couldn't have you last weekend, but something came up. Bruno, no." This last to a large St Bernard dog who had wandered in behind her. "Girls, this is Bruno, who was a present to me from the school. He's boisterous, but harmless."

Reaching over to pet him, Sarah found herself smiling slightly. She'd always liked dogs.

Jo went beyond that, dropping to her knees to give him a big hug. "Oh, he's so sweet." Bruno showed his appreciation of her caresses with a long lick of his tongue and a wagging tail that nearly knocked a vase full of flowers off the table.

"Bruno, you're a menace. But I love you anyway," Joey said merrily. Turning to the girls, she added, "Leave your umbrellas here in the hall, and come sit by the fire. There's no reason to stand around like this." She led them down the hall and opened a double door at the far end, to reveal a cosy room.

Once everyone had settled down, Joey grinned at them. "So how are you settling in at the school? We don't normally get many new girls at summer term."

"Oh, I love it. I've always wanted to go to boarding school, and it's just perfect," Jo gushed. She meant it. Even the bad aspects of school life had acquired a certain sheen in her eyes. "Mum always promised I should go to her school when I was old enough and here I am."

Ace and Sarah shared another glance, before Ace said, "It seems a decent school and the food's good. Better than they had at my last school." She held back on her criticisms of the school's "old-fashioned" curriculum of cookery and sewing, reminding herself that she came from twenty years in the future.

"And you, Sarah?" Joey had heard about some of Sarah's problems in fitting in.

"It's near to Aunt Lavinia, and like Ace said, it's a decent school. The uniforms are much better than my old school, and the lessons are more interesting," Sarah added, in an effort to say something complimentary. She was here because Aunt Lavinia was; she didn't really care which school she went to, as long as she wasn't bored by the lessons.

At this point, Jo couldn't contain herself. "Are you working on a new book, Mrs Maynard?"

Joey let out a rich chuckle. "I am, indeed. A new school story."

While Jo asked a half a dozen questions about the new novel, Sarah and Ace exchanged private glances again, both thinking that Jo was overdoing it a little, but also feeling guilty at the way they had picked apart Mrs Maynard's books.

After that, the conversation turned to more general topics, only to be interrupted just a few minutes later by a tall woman with red gold curls leading two small children, a sturdy boy with red hair, and a more fragile girl.

"Ah, Margot. It must be almost tea time. Geoff, Phil, here are some new friends for you. That's Ace and Sarah and Jo. This is Margot, one of my triplets, and my two youngest, Geoff and Phil."

"Another Jo. We seem to get loads of them." Margot sat down to watch as Geoff and Phil wandered over to the girls their faces held up as if they were expecting kisses.

Jo was not slow to oblige. Grinning, she hugged them both.

Ace caught Sarah's eye quickly before turning away. It wouldn't do for Joey to know they were laughing internally at this. Ace obediently kissed each child, and Sarah followed suit.

"Sarah, why don't you come help me with the tea things?" Joey had every intention of getting each of the girls alone for a short talk and she knew Margot would help her in that. She kept up a light conversation as they went to the kitchen to help Anna finish moving biscuits and pastries on to a large three tiered trolley.

"What's it like being a writer?" Sarah asked as they started back. It was the first question she had volunteered. She'd mostly been answering them. "I love writing, but I also love science and I'm not sure what to pick for a career."

"It's fun and it's exhausting and it's not always easy, but I can't imagine doing anything else."

"Neither can I," Sarah blurted out, startling herself. She'd never admitted that to anyone. "I think I want to write about science though. Either articles or books that explain to people how science works in simple terms."

"That's a good goal to have. And something that will be very useful. The world needs people who are good at explaining complex things in a simple fashion. Like teachers, but you don't want to do that, I gather." Joey was grinning at her, as though they shared a secret. "I didn't. I felt like I had to write."

"I do too. I write stories sometimes, but I like factual stuff better." This was good. If Sarah could keep up this conversation, she could stay away from the topic of Andrea.

"It's good to know what you like. Now _I_ got thrown out of science lessons when I sat on a box of test tubes. It's just as well, I wasn't very good at it." As she finished this sentence, they arrived at the room and Joey pushed the trolley inside.

"Margot, if you'll pour the tea, I'll start passing around the cakes." Joey did just that and the whole party fell to eating with an appetite.

"I can't believe you ever got into trouble, Mrs Maynard," Jo blurted out, in between cakes.

"It's Joey. And of course I got into trouble. I still do sometimes. Just ask my family."

Margot was only too happy to contribute an anecdote or three, which soon had the group roaring with laughter, to the point where Jo wasn't paying attention to how she was holding her cup of tea and dumped it on Joey.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I've bathed in worse things. I once fell headlong into a big pan of green dye. I was green for days before it wore off." Joey grinned at the girl reassuringly. "So you see, truth is _much_ stranger than fiction."

After they had finished their tea, Ace helped Joey bring the tea things back to the kitchen, wishing she'd been able to talk to Sarah privately first to find out what to expect. But the chat went rather smoothly with Joey inquiring about how she was finding school, and what her personal interests were. She restrained herself from answering "blowing things up", by substituting chemistry. Joey Maynard, did seem sensible, if a bit strange, hovering around the school like this. She made a mental note to ask the Professor if Joey might be an alien.

When they get back, Joey turned to Jo, "Why don't you help me bring the children up for their naps? I know Margot has some studying she wants to do."

"Thanks, mama," Margot kissed her and each of the children before disappearing into the house.

Jo eagerly took the hands the children offered her, and helped them up the stairs chattering gaily. She did like small children. "They're so good," she murmured to Joey.

"Not always, I can assure you. We've had our share of scrapes." Joey gave her a grin and changed the subject, asking how Jo was getting on.

"I love it. I always wanted to go and it's just like I imagined only better." Jo blushed as she realised she was gushing.

Joey just nodded. "I know how you feel."

She had spoken to Miss Annersley about the three before she'd invited them and the headmistress had told her that Sarah and Ace had already become close friends and she was worried as both came to the school with a reputation for making trouble. She had hoped that the members of their form would provide a stabilising influence, however they didn't seem to be bonding with their peers but forming a tight twosome instead and she'd wanted Joey's opinion on the matter.

Jo on the other hand seemed to have fallen in with Althea and Robina and their crowd, so Miss Annersley wasn't terribly worried about her. A nice girl, if a little feather-headed. She might get into some of the normal school girl mischief, but they would put her on the right track.

But Joey thought that they were all making an effort to be part of the school, which was half the battle, in her mind. Ace and Sarah might take a little longer to adjust to the way things were done here, but she had seen indications that they were willing to make the first step.

Afterwards, as they walked back to the school, Sarah and Ace let Jo get ahead a little, so that they could have a private chat.

"I think that went well," Sarah said. "Neither of us said anything terribly embarrassing."

"And I managed to get out of there without wanting to resort to explosives. Well, not much."

"She does seem to have a knack for putting people at ease. Though, when I'm her age, I doubt I'd ever tell personal stories like that to schoolgirls who barely know me. Or cling to a school I left a long time ago. Or have eleven children."

"We should make a pact. Whatever absurd habits the school tries to instil in us, we'll stay true to ourselves, even if we have to play by their rules while we're here."

"Agreed. It might work for her, but we _won't_ be her when we grow up. No consorting with children, unless they're our own. Not that I plan on having any." Sarah would remember this conversation many years later, with embarrassment at her folly, and at her cut and dried view of the world when she was fourteen.


	5. Settling the Sale

A week later, the announcement they had all been waiting for came. Once all of the forms had taken their place in the hall, Miss Annersley asked Jack Lambert, the head girl to come up to the lectern. "I know you've all been waiting to hear what we have planned for the sale this year. After some discussion, we've decided to go with a future theme. The grounds and the stalls are to be made up to look like a colony on the moon. And the sale itself will be held a fortnight after half term. I'm sure we'll make this the best sale ever." Jack paused, then added with a grin. "And as it's Saturday, you may speak in any language you choose. This afternoon you may work on your crafts for the sale, and in the evening we'll give you free time to work on the entertainment. For the entertainment at the fête, we'll be doing sketches. The theme is what the school will be like in one hundred years. " She waited for the excited chatter to die down, before continuing, "Each form will write their own script to be vetted by the mistresses in charge."

The girls cheered at this, even the ones who had some doubts about the theme. Inter V chattered away about it, as they passed their soup bowls up and dug into chicken in a delicate butter sauce with whipped potatoes.

Sarah and Ace shared a grin. Even if some of the other girls disliked the theme, they had to admit it could have been much worse.

"So, where can we get fishbowls to make helmets?" Ace asked teasingly.

The girls broke into peals of laughter as they pictured that. Once she'd caught her breath, Robina, being a sensible sort, pointed out that it probably wasn't safe and it would make it difficult to talk to people.

"Oh, well. I'm sure we'll come up with something clever. Sarah's got some science fiction magazines. Maybe we can get ideas from the pictures." Ace was thrilled that the topic was something she considered decent. She'd been expecting frilly frocks, but this school continually surprised her.

Sarah braced herself. She didn't feel like she knew the other girls all that well yet and she didn't want to feel obligated to produce the magazines. "I left them at home. I wasn't sure if they were permitted or not, and I didn't want to risk it." Sarah valued her mags, and wasn't about to chance having them confiscated as contraband."

Val gave Sarah a grin. The rest of the class had decided Sarah was just shy and skittish and had been looking for excuses to draw her in. "We've got some books in the library. E. E. Smith and Robert Heinlein and a few others," she offered.

"Not _Stranger in a Strange Land_, I trust," Sarah said lightly. She'd read it, but it was decidedly not what the school would consider appropriate literature.

"Some of the juveniles, probably." Ace shrugged, "but we're digressing." She did give Sarah a grin, though. Of course, _Sarah_ had read that.

"We can look at them for ideas, and I'm sure the mistresses will help us." Robina was starting to warm to the idea. "It certainly isn't anything we've done before."

"They do have a talent for coming up with unique themes," Marie said, "and this isn't one we've done before."

"I know we've got the 'toys and games' stall, but what do we sell?" Jo asked curiously, daring to change the subject. She'd been hoping for a more decorative theme, but wasn't about to say so.

"Oh, stuff we've made, and stuff that's donated. Lots of the old girls make things. One of them makes a marvellous doll house every year. You won't believe it when you see it. But we don't get that. We'd never get what it's worth if we just sold it, so we raffle it off instead."

"There are always lots of raffles and there's clock golf for the men, and the juniors always have some form of a lucky dip."

"So we get whatever we make?" Jo asked.

"Only if it relates to our stall. Otherwise it gets parcelled out. Usually after the theme is announced, the forms start working in earnest to fill their own stalls, but all the profits go to our charities, so it doesn't matter if we're selling our own things or not." Robina was quick to explain.

Sarah grinned. "I have a book that shows how to make wooden toys that move and I've always wanted to try to make some. D'you think I could?"

"Probably. I'm sure you could use the jigsaw some of the time." Val said blithely, never having bothered about it before.

"I'll continue making scrapbooks, I think. I don't think I could make anything else people would want to buy." Jo was a bit clumsy and not very patient, but she had a good heart and that made up for a lot.

But it was Ace who had the brightest idea. "How about kites? You get a good breeze up here, and they're simple to make."

Several of the other girls jumped on that idea. "Will you show us how?"

"Of course. The more, the merrier."

It was a jolly group of girls who set to work. Someone had the bright idea to decorate many of the toys with space ships, stars and planets, and the others quickly took up that idea. Science textbooks and a guide to the night sky owned by Frederika von Gerling were pressed into service for inspiration.

Some of the girls had been sewing handkerchiefs and baby's nightgowns and they continued at this, some of them stealing peeks at Frederika's book and copying the constellations in embroidery with gold and silver thread.

"But if we do everything with space themes there will be nothing for girls, " Marie objected.

"Bah," said Sarah, as she sanded off one of the pieces she had cut. "Girls can do anything boys can. I bet there will be female astronauts before you know it."

"Still, she has a point. Some _parents_ won't see it your way. Not, that I'm not firmly in your corner, but some people like to dress their daughters in dainty frocks." Lisbet Alsen murmured. She studied the picture she was painting, before picking up her brush again.

"Bah," Sarah said again. "At least my aunt is sensible about such things."

The conversation went on in that vein for a short while, but in the end Marie and a few of the other girls chose to stick with floral embellishments, much to Sarah's scorn, but by the time the afternoon was over, Sarah found herself feeling more friendly towards her classmates and much more a part of Inter V than she had been.

~*~

After Abendessen was over and the girls were permitted to return to their common rooms, the chatter turned to the skit.

Althea raised her hand. "Don't everybody talk at once. Let's do this in a semi orderly fashion. My first thought is that we should have Sarah write the skit. She's been top of the form in English for the fortnight since we've been here."

There was a little muttering about that, since Sarah was a new girl, and should be expected to sing small for now, but none of the others could disagree with Althea's logic. The form as a whole were not the most rigorous of students, with a very few exceptions. An incident a few terms before had convinced them of the need to pull themselves up, but they would never be considered one of the brightest forms. However what they lacked in that regard, they made up for in originality and enthusiasm.

So Sarah got up to get a blank book from her desk. "I want input from the entire form. It's not as though I've been here long, and we should probably have lots of clever references to the school and its history."

This did much to mollify the rest of the form and the ideas flew quick and fast. It was decided that the school would have a branch on the moon by then. And all of the girls had some idea for how the school customs and legends would transfer up there.

"Of course Joey will still be sticking her nose in."

"And she'll have quads."

"There has to be a daring rescue."

"And maybe an alien teacher."

"Boys?"

"No, don't be absurd."

"What about alien girls?"

"Brilliant."

"Do we have to speak an alien language two days a week?"

"That would be fun. We can use pig Latin or make something up."

"And we'd have to wear space suits on our walks."

"We don't need costumes, we can just wear the ones from the fête."

The ideas flew thick and fast and Sarah made them slow down so that she could write them all down. She worked on it during all her free time over the next few days, reading out bits to whomever was around and occasionally would commandeer one or two of the girls who had been there for years, to make sure she had a detail right.

After a few days, she'd worked out a script and read it out to the whole form in the common room and to her surprise, they loved it. It was clever and funny and sharp and there were plenty of parts for those that wanted them. Sarah herself chose to stay behind the scenes on the grounds that she didn't like to perform. Instead she helped with the minimal scenery (a backdrop setting of the moonscape through a window) and gathering the props they would need. Mostly they used their own books, but she had to speak to a mistress about borrowing some of the school equipment.

The girls set to rehearsing with a will. The fête was one of the rare times during the year when they had visitors coming in from the outside and they didn't want to disgrace the school.


	6. Hiking Trip

On Friday the weather finally cleared, and the mistresses had decided to take advantage of the good weather and send the girls off on rambles. They knew from experience during the winter term how tempers can fray during periods of bad weather, and to take advantage of the good weather, and were wise enough to know that, even though this was summer term, the same principle applied.

"Once we're away from the road, we can break ranks and go about in groups of at least three, as long as we stay within sight and sound of the mistresses. And you'll like the Auberge. It's one of our show places." Val had come up and offered to partner with Sarah, and the other girl had agreed. She would rather have gone with Ace, but they had figured out that they didn't like you to be exclusive here. And Val wasn't a bad companion.

After Mittagessen, the forms separated and Inter V headed off in a croc. Each girl carried an alpenstock and a rucksack filled with sandwiches, cakes, apples, flasks of Karen's fruit drinks and the occasional camera.

The sky was clear, in a way that it hadn't been since Jo had come to the Oberland and she couldn't help an admiring "Oh," escaping when she looked across the valley and saw the peaks which surrounded Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

Even Ace couldn't help but be impressed, despite all the wonders she'd seen in her travels with the Doctor.

Val and Sarah were towards the back of the queue, and Sarah couldn't help stopping to stare. "It's grand."

"Watch it. Remember it's a German day," Val murmured in that language with a cheerful grin. "You don't want fines today." She cast a cautious eye up to the prefects, but Jack Lambert and Jane Carew were helping Emmy Friedrich with a twisted rucksack strap and weren't paying attention, so Sarah escaped nemesis for once. "I'm surprised you forgot. Your German is good enough that you don't need to resort to English."

Sarah had proven to be surprisingly adept at German, though her accent was decidedly English, and was coming along in French in leaps and bounds. "I'm a bit of a mimic. You should have heard the awful accent I developed when Aunt Lavinia was teaching in California for a year." She said the last bit in an obnoxious American accent, causing Ace and Sam who were also dawdling at the view to burst into peals of laughter.

At that point Jack had finished with Emmy and noticed they had slowed down. "Get a move on. You don't want to hold up the rest of us."

"No, I suppose we don't." The girls reluctantly tore themselves away from the view and dashed after the rest of the form.

Val thought to herself that Sarah was a nice girl when you got past the prickly shield she seemed to have built up. She'd remember that for later.

~*~

The rest of the group had reached the plank bridge that led over the railway. The tracks stretched up and down the valley as far as the eye could see, and the bridge was the only way to cross the live rails. The girls passed over in single file and Sarah tried to suppress the feeling of panic growing in her stomach. Since Andrea's death, she had avoided heights. She went silent as she crossed, gripping the handrails and forcing herself to look straight ahead at Val's back, since she didn't quite dare to close her eyes. One foot in front of the other, that was all it would take. Finally she reached the other side, and let out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding. When they had walked to the school, they had gone by the other route which had a more solid railing.

Somehow her panic had gone unnoticed by Val, who proceeded to query her about California and her aunt. The timing was good, because just then they rounded a curve and Sarah was able to point to the Görnetz Sanatorium and say that her aunt worked there. Val saw this as an invitation to spill some tidbits about the history of the San and the school, and how Madge Russell, Joey's sister, had started the school in Tirol, where she had met and married Dr Jem Russell, who had started the San there. "Since then the two have been linked. Lots of old girls married doctors. And we have lots of girls who have family at the San who want them to stay close."

They turned on to another path and found themselves walking down a track bordered by alpenrose bushes. Once they passed the bush that marked the entrance, the girls had started to rearrange themselves into groups of three and four. Sticking together, the four girls continued chattering and admiring the scenery, with Val and Sam teasing a little about a secret at the Auberge that would impress the new girls.

Ace and Sarah had discovered this path in their explorations, and they had a good idea of where they were going, but not for anything would they spoil the other girls' glee. Clearly this was a school rite of passage.

At first the path had been boarded by grassy areas but gradually these narrowed, until they were walking between two rocky walls, one being the mountain slope which rose high above their heads and the other much lower. This ended abruptly and the girls found themselves once more in view of the northern range of mountains across the valley.

Sarah's feet automatically backed her away from the edge, as the others oohed and aahed over the sight of the valley below.

"We're about 3000 feet up." Jack Lambert commented as she came up behind them. "Sarah are you alright? Afraid of heights?"

"A little." Sarah wasn't foolhardy enough to deny it or try to prove anything by getting close to the edge. That was apt to get more embarrassing. She only hoped the prefect wouldn't press.

Jack had more sense than that. "We'll have lunch when we get to the Auberge. If we hurry we might have time for the waterfall as well."

As this was an unexpected treat, the girls stopped dawdling and hurried onward. Soon enough the path broadened and then they reached a tiny meadow.

"Tired?" Val asked. "It's a bit of a hike."

"I'm fine. I used to walk everywhere. The air's thinner here, so it's a little more of a struggle, but I'll manage." Ace had rather enjoyed the walk. It was nice, walking somewhere without aliens chasing after.

"What's that?" Sarah asked. She and Ace had noticed the large rock on their first exploration of the path and had wondered about it.

"That's the Tschuggen. We go round it and we're almost there." Val picked up the pace. "Let's hurry. I'm starting to get hungry."

"What's that?" Frederika pointed to a small metal box by the side of the rock.

"It looks like some sort of scientific equipment." Miss Wright said, kneeling down for a closer look. "Possibly gathering data about climate conditions or something. I can't tell just by looking at it and science really isn't my field."

"Nor mine," added Miss Ferrars. "I doubt there's anything mysterious about it and lunch is waiting."

The other girls voiced their agreement and followed her along the sharply curved path to find themselves right in front of the Auberge, but Ace and Sarah paused to study it more closely.

Sarah reached out to touch it and then pulled her hand back abruptly. "It feels weird. And it doesn't look like any weather apparatus I've ever seen."

"Me either. But I suppose Wrighty is right." That phrase made them both burst out laughing, along with Val and Althea, who had been waiting for them a short distance away.

Ace was almost certain that it was alien in origin and made a note to tell the Professor about it at the earliest possible opportunity. "Lunch would be a good idea right now, I think."

"You won't get any argument from me," Val replied and the four girls followed their fellows around the bend.

It was a lovely inn, with frescos on the walls and a wide courtyard with trestle tables and benches for travellers to rest or have a drink or a meal. The valley side was bordered by close, high fencing, and the girls would have wandered over there, but Miss Ferrars insisted that they have their picnic first.

Sandwiches, fruit and cakes were quickly devoured and the papers that had wrapped them along with their empty flasks were stowed away in their rucksacks. Then as one girl, they rushed for the fences.

Unlike Ace and Sarah, Jo had no clue what the secret was, so she was startled when Jack let loose a piercing whistle, only to have it come back on the wind. "An echo. That's just wonderful," she shouted, and it came back to them- wonderful-wonderful-ful."

"Brilliant," Ace exclaimed.

Each girl had a turn at the echo. Some whistled, or yelled or made weird noises. Jo, with an amused look on her face, sang a few bars from the Beatles' _Help_, to the girls' amusement and the laughter too, was sent back by the echo. Sam produced a string of bells, which, when rung, came back as fairy music.

Sarah stayed towards the back of the pack. She didn't really want to go that close to the edge, even if the fence did look sturdy. Images of Andrea, dangling from the pier filled her memory, and she forced them down.

"Sarah, it's your turn." Val came over. "You don't have to stand too close to the fence if you don't want to."

She forced herself to nod. This was silly. She couldn't spend the rest of her life being afraid of heights. Moving slowly to within a metre of the fence so she wouldn't have to look down, she repeated Jack's idea, whistling a string of notes, and was gratified to see the grin on Val's face. She could do this. It was like the bridge, just one step at a time.

Miss Ferrars and Miss Wright had been keeping an eye on the clouds which were starting to build again. After a whispered conversation, Miss Ferrars turned to the form and said, "Girls, I don't think we'll have time for the waterfall. It looks like there's another storm approaching. And as the inn doesn't have a working phone right now, I think we'd best head back to the school." The successive storms had played havoc with both the electrical and phone wires, and as much as the workers tried, they were behind in fixing the damage.

The girls noticed that the proprietors of the inn were starting to close up in preparation and didn't argue as they quickly gathered their things and started back along the path. It was just starting to spit as they rounded the curve in the path and the bridge came into sight, and some of the girls opened their umbrellas.

As Sarah gathered up the courage to cross the bridge, which was starting to get slippery from the drizzle, there was a loud clap of thunder and it startled her so much she lost her footing on the muddy bank, almost tumbling over the edge. Val caught at her and managed to grab hold of her arm, but Sarah found herself reliving Andrea's death and started panicking, making it hard to hold on to her.

"Miss Wright! Miss Ferrars! Help!" Val screamed, as she tried to hold on to the other girl.

Barbara ran up, and grabbed at Sarah's jacket before getting a good grip on her other arm. "Now one, two, three, pull." Between the two of them, they managed to pull the flailing Sarah up on to the bank. "Sarah, are you alright?" Barbara asked.

Althea came up with an umbrella to hold over the mistress and the girl.

Sarah was shaking from the shock, and clearly incoherent. The memories of how Andrea fell were all she could think of.

By this time, Miss Ferrars had made it back across the bridge. "Miss Wright, why don't you take the other girls back to school? We'll follow as fast as we can."

Barbara nodded and stood. "Girls, I want you to cross the bridge slowly. Then we're going to run. I don't like the look of that sky."

Ace had come back over the bridge and started talking calmly to Sarah. The Doctor had told her about Andrea before she left for school, so she would be prepared if Sarah broke down. Somehow she and Val convinced Sarah to start walking across the bridge, with one of them on either side of her. The other girls gave them some space.

Althea started to stand to follow Barbara. "Owww." The look of pain was clear on her face.

Miss Ferrars who had been preparing to cross the bridge after the girls, turned to see what had happened.

"Caught my foot, on a rock, I think." Looking down she corrected herself, "No, a root."

By this time, Ace and Val had got Sarah over to the other side and turned to look. Miss Ferrars had got Althea to lean on her shoulder and hop across and Ace met them half way across, and had Althea put her other arm around Ace's shoulders. Between the two of them, they managed to get her across.

By this time, all of the others had crossed the bridge and started the long walk back to school. More umbrellas were open as the rain increased, and the party by the bridge watched as the row of bright colours moved out of sight.

Val was holding her umbrella over herself and Sarah, who had collapsed from the strain. Miss Ferrars had the other two sit down beside them, while they considered their options. The sky looked like it would open any moment now and it was over a mile back to the school. She could only hope that help would arrive before the storm did.


	7. The Doctor Lends a Hand

The Doctor switched on the lights on his car, suddenly thankful that he wasn't driving Bessie. He loved her, but putting up her roof was a bit of a pain. Spotting the little group off to the side he stopped. Judging from the darkness of the clouds they were about to get soaked, and he thought he'd offer a lift.

"Ace!" he said as he strode closer to the group. "Is there a problem?"

"Forgive me for not getting up." Miss Ferrars was bandaging Althea's ankle, with supplies from the first aid kit they always carried on their rambles. "One of the girls has sprained her ankle, and Sarah has had a bit of a fright. She doesn't like heights, and the thunder came at just the wrong time and startled her enough that she nearly slid down the bank on to the tracks. I'm Miss Ferrars, by the way. You know Ace?"

"He's my guardian. Doctor John Smith." Ace turned and grinned at him, "Sarah's okay, Professor, just a little shaken."

The Doctor nodded, "I know Sarah too. Her aunt shares the cottage we're renting. Miss Ferrars, perhaps I could give you a lift back to school?"

"That would be greatly appreciated. We sent the rest of the form back, but it would be a while before they could send a car and neither girl is in any shape to walk." Miss Ferrars finished the neat bandage and smiled at the Doctor. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He turned to Sarah. "It's okay. You're on solid ground now."

"I know." Sarah's shaky voice belied her words and her face was pale. But she'd had some of the leftover fruit drink and was feeling a little more coherent. She'd nearly lost her balance when she had been startled by the thunder. Nearly fallen. Like Andrea.

He dropped down to one knee beside her. "So have you considered parachuting as a hobby? Or maybe mountain climbing."

She glared at him, "I don't think so. I could barely manage the bridge. Maybe I should go back to England."

"Of course. No heights in England. No cliffs. You'd have to keep away from Dover, but then you probably have no reason to go there. And the London Eye is right out. Oh wait, ignore that. It hasn't been built yet." As he chattered nonsensically at her, he lifted her up and carried her gently to the car.

By now the downpour had started in earnest and Miss Ferrars looked at Ace. She hated to ask this of a student, but it wasn't that far to the car. "Perhaps you could help me make a queen's chair and we could carry her over. It would save your guardian the return trip and the sooner we're all out of the rain, the better."

Ace nodded gamely. "I think I can manage." She quickly linked hands and arms with Miss Ferrars and Althea manoeuvred herself to sit on the chair they formed, wincing a little as she jarred her ankle. Wrapping her arms around the other two for balance they made quick work of the trip and soon she was safely ensconced in the car beside Sarah, whilst the Doctor pulled some blankets out of the boot to cover them. Ace quickly slid in beside them.

Val had gathered up their things and she put them in the boot, before squeezing in. It was a tight fit, but they managed somehow."

"It would be better if we all had dry clothes," Miss Ferrars said as she settled down in the front seat, "but it won't be a long trip and there will be hot baths for all of you at the end."

Sarah nodded, but she didn't feel inclined to chatter much. Everything felt so far away right now, and she wasn't sure if she was shaking because of her near accident or the cold rain. It might have been the daze, but while the Doctor had been carrying her, she had laid her head against her chest, and it had almost sounded like he had two heartbeats. She was certain it would all make perfect sense when she was warm and dry again.

~*~

When they reached the school, Miss Ferrars hopped out of the car. She met Miss Annersley in the doorway.

"We were about to send someone out to fetch you. The rest of the form just got back."

"Ace's guardian happened by. Lucky for us, as we managed to squeeze into his car before we were all soaked." She and Miss Annersley turned to help the Doctor fetch the girls from the car. Sarah was standing unsteadily and it was clear by now that she was going into shock. The Doctor swung her up into her arms and moved out of the way so that the two mistresses could help Althea into the building.

"This way, if you don't mind. I think Sarah's due for a night in the infirmary. You too, Althea. Sprains are nothing to fool around with." Miss Annersley led the way, and the Doctor followed close behind. "Val, Ace, you come too. I'm prescribing a hot bath and bed for both of you. And I'm sure Matey will agree."

"You'll let me know how they get on, won't you? I know I could ask Ace, but she won't know the details." The Doctor followed her into the neat infirmary, where Matey was already preparing beds for them. Once the two girls had been settled on chairs, the others were shooed out, so that Matey could get them dry and into warm clothes.

Sarah was dazed enough that she didn't protest at Matey's treatment, and soon she was dressed in warm, dry clothing and tucked beneath the covers. Matey gave her a draught to calm her nerves and she was soon fast asleep.

When Ace returned, feeling much better now that she was dry, Matey gave her permission to walk the Doctor to the door, with strict orders that she was to return immediately and go to bed.

"Sarah will be okay, won't she?" After all of her adventures with the Doctor, Ace had been thrown by her extreme reaction to the near fall. She couldn't help wondering how a girl with such fears could grow up to travel with the Doctor.

"She'll get over it in due time, Ace. She had a bad shock not so long ago, that still hasn't completely healed." The Doctor grinned at Ace. "So what do you think of the school so far?"

"S'not bad. I could do with a little more privacy and a little less darning, but I suppose that's to be expected. Not sure what to make of Joey, though. You're sure she's not an alien?" She paused in the hallway just before they got to the front door, in an effort to prolong the conversation.

"Human as they come. She helped me with some trouble in India, ages ago. The Master. Different body, so I wouldn't mention it to her." The Doctor tapped her lightly on the nose

"Got it. I take it she doesn't know you're not from around here." Ace turned to grin at him, wondering how he'd managed _that_. The Professor always seemed very alien to her.

"Probably not. She's got very decided views on how the world works. But she was invaluable in saving the world." He grinned at her. "Ready to leap back into being a school girl?"

"If I must, I must. I should go back to the san. Hot bath and bed." She gave him an impish grin. "Thank heaven for the TARDIS, or I'd never be able to manage the languages."

"I turned most of that off. Can't hurt you to learn a new language or two. And I was afraid that Sarah might get suspicious."

"She does seem right on the ball. I do like her, Professor."

"I do too. I'm glad the two of you are getting on. I wanted the two of you in the same form for just that reason."

"So that's why you shaved a year off my age on the application," Ace said knowingly. "Up to your old tricks, are you?"

"How well you know me, Ace. Now toddle off before they miss you."

Sarah was already fast asleep, having been given a sedative after her bath, but the other three talked quietly about school affairs before dozing off themselves and Ace once again found herself appreciating the friendships she was starting to form with the girls and hoping that none of them would turn out to be evil.

~*~

Althea woke after midnight, wincing from the pain of her ankle and she opened her eyes to see Sarah trying to get out of bed. She reached for the bell she'd been given to summon Matey, and gave it a quick ring.

Matey immediately came running and sizing up the situation, gently convinced the half-awake Sarah to get back into bed, before coming over to check on Althea.

"Will she be alright?"

"She's got a slight fever, and she's shaken by what happen, but she's sturdy enough that she should pull through," Matey reassured her. "Is your ankle hurting?"

"Just a little." More than a little, judging by the look on her face.

Matey nodded. "I'll get you another sedative. The best thing for you is a good night's sleep. We'll have the doctor in in the morning to take a look at it."

Althea gratefully took the sedative, and curled up and went back to sleep, trying not to worry about her friend.

~*~

The next day, Ace tried to focus on the usual school routine, instead of worrying about Sarah. As much as she liked the other girls for the most part, Sarah had become a special friend and she found herself missing the other girl's company.

"Aw, she just slipped a little."

"She nearly fell down the embankment. If Val hadn't caught her, she would have."

Val and Ace heard these comments as they walked into class that morning. Robina, of course, was defending Sarah, but who had made the other comment?

"Aimee, don't be absurd. There's nothing wrong with being a little afraid of heights."

"She could have been a bit more stiff upper lip about it. No need to carry on like a baby."

"Sarah didn't carry on. She barely said a word. I bet if you were in the same position you'd be just as upset."

The conversation ranged for a while, but eventually Val was able to convince the others that Sarah had a right to be spooked by her near fall.

~*~

Althea missed this, as Doctor Graves had arrived to check out her ankle.

"It's just sprained. We'll wrap it up tightly and you should be able to get around on crutches."

After this was done, and Althea was given a schedule for visiting the school San to have it looked at and get painkillers, she was sent to the Speisesaal to meet her class for Mittagessen.

The form cheered when she hopped through the door a little clumsily.

"How's Sarah?"

"Sleeping. Matey says she just needs some rest and quiet." Althea said.

"Good," Ace said decisively. As much as she liked the other girls, she missed Sarah and her sarcastic comments. It was nice to have someone around who didn't completely buy into the wonderful Chalet School way.


	8. Epidemic

At first Sarah's condition was put down to shock and stress, but when she woke the next morning, shaking and feverish, Matey called in Jack Maynard. After a thorough examination, he sought out Miss Annersley. "I hate to say this, but it looks like we might have a flu epidemic on our hands. We've had several people come down with it and now Sarah has the same symptoms." He looked worried. "She's got a very high fever, which is worrying, but the best thing you can do for her right now is what you're doing. You had best make a check of the other, girls though. We want to contain this epidemic as much as we can."

Miss Annersley nodded gravely. There had been epidemics at the Chalet School before and somehow they had always weathered them.

Althea had woken that morning feeling cranky and out of sorts. When Jack Lambert told her to shake a leg, she'd grabbed her pillow and thrown it at the other girl. Thinking it was just the pain medication wearing off, Jack had told her to see Matey before Frühstück and not thought any more about it, until Althea didn't show up for breakfast.

After Frühstück, Miss Annersley made a few announcements before saying, "I'm sorry to say that we may have an influenza epidemic on our hands. After you've cleared your tables, you will return to your common rooms to wait for Matron, Dr Maynard or Dr Graves to inspect you."

Nervous chattering filled the common rooms as the doctors and Matey made their rounds. Before they were done, there were a dozen beds filled in the school san, and everyone was keeping a close watch on the rest of the school.

By now Inter V knew that both Althea and Sarah were down with it, and Ace couldn't help fretting over Sarah and wishing she could check up on the other girl. She knew Matey would never allow it though.

As the week passed, more and more students and staff were taken ill, but worst was when Miss Annersley developed a rather severe case of the flu a week into the epidemic.

"What will they do now?" asked Jo. "We can't have a school without a headmistress." The classes had grown steadily smaller and there were now only five members of Inter V still healthy. Miss Ferrars had come down with it two days before, after which they were combined with IVa and IVb under Miss Wright, who had proven to be just as much on the spot as Ferry. Still, most lessons had been abridged and days were filled with working on the sale and other distractions.

"I bet Willy will take it up. Miss Wilmot's done it before, just a few years ago, when Miss Annersley was picked for a lecture tour." Val offered.

"Did she really?" Jo couldn't imagine Miss Wilmot playing the role of head, though she was certainly on the spot when she needed to be- or when you didn't want her to be.

At this point, Miss Wright entered the classroom and they fell silent. Even with three forms in one room, there were empty seats.

Ace mostly kept to herself. She was starting to get along with the others, but they all thought everything the school did was wonderful. She was starting to get sick of lessons and sewing and the fête, and wonder when she would find the information the Doctor needed to solve this thing, so she could go back to travelling. She did try to get along with her classmates, but they seemed so different to her. Most of them wanted to be here. Sometimes she felt that if she couldn't slip out and run she'd go mad, but the weather made even a proper croc impossible.

A few days later both Jo and Val came down with the flu, leaving Ace, Aimee and Frederika of all of Inter V unscathed. The virus seemed to have peaked, though. Many of the invalids were recovering their appetites and Miss Wilmot announced at Abendessen that they should be returning to lessons the next Monday.

Sarah, meanwhile, was in the infirmary, still very ill. Her temperature had not come down and she was muttering nonsense about falling.

"She's delirious because of the fever," Jack said. "That high temperature worries me."

Aunt Lavinia nodded. She knew, better than anyone what Sarah's symptoms meant. All she could do was sit by her niece's bedside and pray that the fever broke soon. Her own research would have to wait. Sarah was more important.

~*~

Ace was glad when the Doctor popped in on Saturday morning to see her. For once, it wasn't raining, though the fog was too thick to allow much of a ramble. But they were permitted to walk in the garden and talk, which soothed Ace no end. She'd spoken to the Doctor when he had brought them home a fortnight before, but it hadn't been a _proper_ conversation.

"I'm going stir crazy here. How much longer do we have to stay here? If I have to sew one more stitch...."

"Just until I discover what is behind these weird weather conditions." He was rolling his Rs more than usual, and Ace took that as a sign that he was upset.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. While we were walking up towards the Auberge, I noticed a machine by the side of the path. Not sure what it was, but I think it was alien in nature. It was right by the Tschuggen."

"I know where that is. I'll take a look this afternoon. So what else have you been up to?"

"Oh, the usual," Ace replied with a world-weary air. "Getting ready for the sale and lessons and _mending_. _I_ have learned to knit."

"Useful talent knitting. Some of my best friends are knitters."

"If you don't stop, you're going to get a jumper for Christmas."

"I'd like that."

"No, you wouldn't. I drop stitches and nothing ever seems to work out in the right proportion. It would be a mess."

"Still, it would be precious to me because you knitted it." He was winding her up, which was a good thing. If he'd been serious, she would have had to smack him.

~*~

Jo had only had a light case of flu and having recovered quickly was sent back to her own dorm that night to free up a bed for one of the fourth formers, who was much worse. Restless from the days stuck in bed, she got up around midnight for a drink of water.

As she headed to the splashery, she heard a clanking sound. Thinking it might be a shutter which hadn't been fastened properly, she quickly got her drink and then went out into the hall to investigate.

The clanking sound hadn't stopped and she followed it down the hall and around the corner, where she ran into Miss Wright.

"What are you doing up at this time of the night?" Miss Wright asked sternly. "You aren't fully recovered and you should be in bed."

"Got up for a drink. I think one of the shutters is loose. Do you hear it?" Another clank-clank.

Miss Wright turned her torch down the hall. "You're in Pansy, right? I'll walk you back and then take a look. It's in that direction anyway."

Jo followed the Mistress down the hall. "What was that?" A shadow had passed along the far wall at the end of the corridor.

"Nothing, probably." Miss Wright said reassuringly, though she was inwardly worried. "Let's get you to bed, so I can fasten that shutter.

She got Jo safely tucked in and then setting her mouth in a firm line, walked to the end of the corridor and shone her torch in both directions along the corridor that crossed it. Nothing and the sound had stopped. Frowning, she continued her rounds. She must have imagined it. She _must_ have. What would a _Dalek_ be doing in a girls' school? More than a little shaken, she decided a cup of tea in the staff room would settle her nerves. The shadows were playing tricks with her. They had to be.

When she got there, Kathie Ferrars was sitting in one of the comfortable chairs watching Nancy Wilmot put the kettle on. "Ah, another one for tea. It seems to be a restless night."

"Not surprising after everyone's been so cooped up. Summer is almost never the bad weather term." Nancy grinned as she filled the kettle and set it to heating. "Barbara, I think there's a packet of biscuits on the top shelf. Could you get them down?"

"Of course. So this isn't normal weather for this time of year?"

"No, it's usually dry and sunny. Of course we get the occasional thunderstorm, but never this bad for this long. It's almost like England," Kathie said with a cheeky grin.

"Are you feeling better?" Barbara asked. Kathie had had one of the worst cases of flu among the staff.

"Mostly. Still a little weak but I'm tired of lying about. Do we know if the fête has been pushed back?"

"Miss Annersley says we'll probably have to have it after exams, this year. If the weather clears up. If not, perhaps we'll plan to hold it in the gym." Nancy settled down in the chair beside her friend, and after Barbara had arranged the biscuits on a plate she joined them. "We certainly won't manage it before half-term at this rate."

"Given that half-term is only a week away, I doubt that we could," Kathy replied.

The kettle whistled and Nancy jumped up to pour the tea and pass it around. "I don't know what will happen with half-term. We've lost about three weeks and in exam term too."

"We'll manage somehow. We always do. And from what I've seen, the girls have outdone themselves this year. The question is what are we doing about half-term." The constant storms had made the roads treacherous and the railways, which were electric, were running on an erratic schedule, with the ongoing need to clear mudslides and fallen trees from the lines. The mistresses had managed to keep this from the girls due to the lack of expeditions this term, but half-term was another story.

"We'll just have to wait and see. I suspect it's all down to the weather at this point." Barbara sipped her tea gratefully. This was just what she had needed. A nice dose of the real world. She must have been imagining things back in the dorms. Jo's nervousness must have got to her. She had put those days behind her and right now she was just a teacher at a boarding school. No need to think about the things she had seen during her travels with the Doctor. And definitely no need to worry about Daleks.


	9. "I Couldn't Save Her"

By Tuesday everyone but Sarah had been released from the infirmary, and she was starting to recover. After classes, Matey agreed that she was well enough for visitors, and allowed Ace in as long as she didn't tire Sarah out.

"Hey." Ace grinned at Sarah, as she sat down in the chair next to her bed. "How are you feeling?" It being a German day, she was careful to speak in that language even if it was slow and awkward. Fines weren't part of her plan, especially once she realised how much further her money went in this time and place. Not that she had had much of a chance to spend it, given the weather. Usually there would have been trips into town on some of their walks.

"Like I was run over by a lorry. I think I'll recover, though. Especially since they're finally giving me solid foods." Sarah's German was more fluent but heavy on medical terms, due to a bad habit of trying to puzzle out articles in her aunt's journals with a dictionary. "It's amazing how sick one gets of soft boiled eggs and custards. So how are you? They wouldn't even tell me anything about the time I missed, but I gather most of the school came down with the flu."

"Yeah. Lessons were rather sparse for a while. And I never want to look at another needle as long as I live."

Sarah grinned at her. "You're not the only one. Val was in here and she was whinging about that for a while. They brought in some sewing to keep her quiet, since she wasn't strong enough to be up and about."

"At least we're not the only ones who dislike it. I'll admit it's a useful skill but I never thought I'd have to do so much of it."

"Agreed. It could be so much worse. The other girls could be like the Stepford wives or something."

"Like what?"

"A book I read." Ace stopped suddenly, realising it was probably not even published yet. "Never mind. Nobody here is perfect. Not the students, not the teachers. It makes the school almost bearable even when they're raving about how wonderful it is. Even if my accent is starting to suffer." And her vocabulary. Not knowing what might be considered slang, she'd developed a habit about being very careful with her word choice.

"I know what you mean. I think it's because we're constantly around the staff. It's still better than any other school I've ever attended, but if I start yelling, 'up the school', you have permission to shoot me."

"Likewise. Have they given you any idea when you'll be back in school? Everyone's nice enough, but I miss having you to talk to."

"They said I'd be allowed on the half-term trip as long as I took it easy. And I'll go back to lessons when we get back. Any word on where we're going?"

"Geneva, according to the list they posted in the hall this morning. Should be good. Even if it is educational." Ace had made a point of checking, knowing Sarah would want to know. Any chance to get out of the school would be good after the way they'd been cooped up this term.

Sarah giggled. "It's a school trip, but at least at this school they mix the education in with some fun."

Ace was glad to see Sarah looking so cheery. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What?"

"What happened on the bridge. You looked shaky even before you fell."

"I don't like heights." She didn't want to talk about Andrea or that awful day, so she shrugged and let the answer stand.

"I know." How could she have missed it, living as they did on a shelf on the mountain? It had come up more than once during their explorations. "You seemed worse than usual."

"It was that bridge. We never had to cross with an open railing like that." They had been on the same side of the bridge as the inn, and when they explored the far end of the Platz, they had gone by the main road. This route might have been more picturesque, and better suited to pedestrians, but, scorning maps, they hadn't known of it. "And the bank itself was slippery."

"I know. The rain's loosened the soil. I'm surprised we haven't had more problems. I would have expected landslides."

"How would we know? They don't exactly cover current events in the school and they might have been trying to protect us."

"And yet they're so progressive in other things. I never expected the science department to be worth anything."

"Me, either. You never did tell me why you left your old school."

"It's the Professor. He likes to travel. Mostly he teaches me himself, but he thought I needed girls my own age about." Ace suspected that was the last thing on his mind.

"So what's Perivale like?" Sarah knew she was being nosy, but it was something she kept forgetting to ask.

"It's a town. I was glad to get away from it." Ace shrugged. She could tell Sarah was trying to divert attention from herself, so she resigned herself to talking about what had happened. If nothing else it might get the other girl to open up a little. "The area was a bit rough and my family wasn't great." That was putting it mildly. "And I'd lost a good friend a few years ago." She wasn't sure how to say the next bit in German, so she took a careful look around the room to make sure Matey wasn't around, and said in English. "My friend, Manisha. Bunch of white boys firebombed her family's flat." She was shaking a bit, but she related the story in German, the added problem of vocabulary giving her something to focus on besides what had happened to Manisha.

"I'm so sorry." Sarah reached over and gathered Ace's hands in hers. "I know." She took a deep breath, then blurted out quickly, "My best friend fell off a pier last summer. She managed to catch the bottom of the pier, but her grip was slipping. I tried to save her but I couldn't reach. I- I- We shouldn't have been there. We climbed over the fence. I should have been able to save her, though."

"How?" demanded Ace. "You couldn't reach. I bet she would have been too heavy for you to carry, even if you'd got down to her. There's nothing you could have done, any more than I could have saved Manisha." Until she said that, she didn't realise how true it was. She did wish she could have saved her friend. And there was nothing she could have done about it.

"I wish I could believe that. It's not the same," she added fiercely. "I was right _there_." Sarah could feel the tears starting to come again. "Can we talk about something else please? Something happy? Like the fête, maybe? If I'd heard about it before I came to the school, I would have thought it was so twee, but everyone seems really dedicated to making it a success and they've done so much amazing work to sell at it. At my old school, the fête would have been scorned by at least half the class and would have ended up being a tawdry affair, with a table or two of old junk and crafts that could have been done better by an infant."

"Mine too. Plus some of the tougher boys would have wrecked it for the fun of it."

"Not just the boys. I know a few girls who would have done the exact same thing. Here it seems to have more significance."

"Maybe it's the isolation. There's not much else to do up here."

"Maybe. So what's been happening while I was ill?"

"We worked a lot on making costumes They're simple sleeveless frocks with silver and gold decorations." They didn't look particularly futuristic to Ace. More retro, like people in the fifties and sixties believed the future would be like. But the outfits could have been much worse. "At one point they got out pictures of past sales. I am _so_ glad they didn't do another Kate Greenaway sale."

Sarah grimaced at that. "They didn't?"

"I've seen pictures. We still haven't come up with a good idea for the stall for the form." None of the ideas they had come up with had been practical given the space and the time they had left.

"I wonder how difficult it would be to build a dome."

Ace grinned at that. "Brilliant. I bet the worst part would be making the frame. Maybe Gaudenz could help us. Then what?"

"Cover it with black crepe and paint stars on it. Decorate it like a colony on the moon, with moon rocks made out of papier mâché."

"I like it. Shall I pass it on, or do you want to bring it up yourself?"

"You do it. I don't know if it's practical or not, but we'd need to get started as soon as possible."

"Has it dried out at all? I haven't been outside in forever."

"Hardly. They've had to call off all the fixtures for this term. The cricket pitch will have to be completely redone. The tennis courts are hard, but you couldn't play in this sort of weather, and the other schools are far enough away that they didn't like to chance it."

There was a gentle knock at the door and they both looked round to see the Doctor grinning at them.

"And how are my two favourite schoolgirls?"

"Getting better." Sarah couldn't help liking the Doctor, especially after he'd sent round a basket of fruit the day before. Such a lovely change from eggs. "Thank you for the grapes and oranges. They were such a treat. I hope you don't mind that I shared them around."

"Of course not. That was the idea."

"'Lo, Professor." Ace grinned at him. "What brings you out?"

"Lavinia is stuck at the San, so she asked me to come round and check up on Sarah and bring back a report." He pulled out his spoons and played an impromptu tune on Sarah's leg, making her giggle and then start coughing.

The Doctor patted her gently until she stopped. "Why don't you lie back and I'll tell you a story. Ace, did I ever tell you about the time on Skaro when I-" Suddenly remembering that that story involved Sarah, the Doctor stopped abruptly. "Oh, I know, let me tell you about the Land of Fiction and what happened to me there. Jamie and Zoe were my companions at the time...." He went on to tell the story in quite an amusing fashion making light of his own foibles.

Sarah was _almost_ certain he was talking nonsense, but there was that double heartbeat she had heard when he had carried her into the school. She found herself wondering if he was behind the strange weather and made a private note to investigate further once she was better. Listening to him describe some of the puzzles they had to solve, made her remember the puzzle box. She had put it next to the snaps she had of her family, but the school had kept her so busy, she hadn't given it another thought. After he and Ace had left her to rest, she decided that once she was back in her own bed, she would make it a priority.


	10. Half-Term

Sarah finally showed up at Abendessen on Friday night. She still looked a little fragile, but she reacted to the roast veal and escalloped potatoes with an appetite that convinced everyone that she was on the mend.

The girls talked over each other, trying to fill her in on everything that had happened while she was in the school San. Much emphasis was placed on the fact that the sale had been moved to the end of term and the form's renewed desire to make it the best sale ever. They had embraced her idea about the stall, and Gaudenz was already making a frame, by soaking and bending poles to make the dome and the girls were already full of ideas about how to sew and decorate the frame. Lizbet was already painting a sign that said "First colony on the moon", which Aimee said was smashing, and promptly received a fine for slang from Miss Wilmot who was just then passing by.

Once the pudding had been finished (one of Karen's famous cakes), Miss Annersley stood. After a few other minor announcements, she looked upon them with a grave face. "I am sorry to say that landslides and fallen trees have made the mountain impassable for the moment. We will have to cancel the planned trips, as the authorities have told us that it's not safe to travel down the mountain right now. As this is a general travel ban, unless your family is currently on the pass, girls who were planning to visit relatives will be unable to do so." With a glance she quieted the chatter that started at this announcement. "We have made some alternate plans, including some new amusements mixed in with the old favourites. Plus, of course, we will be setting aside some time to work on the sale, which has been moved to the end of term, due to the inclement weather and epidemic. After dinner tonight, we will have dancing and a slightly extended bedtime. Tomorrow there will be announcements at Frühstück about our plans for the day. And from now until the end of half-term you may use any language you like."

There was a little grumbling as the girls cleared the tables. But they were sensible enough to know that if the authorities were requesting that they remain on the Platz, the situation must be dire.

The weather had eliminated most of their usual summer term sport, and even walks, excepting the disastrous one a fortnight ago, had been curtailed to the roads, where they must croc. The chance for some vigorous exercise appealed to even the most bookish of girls, and they threw themselves into dancing with a will. The dances were mostly energetic country dances, and even Ace found herself enjoying the chance to work off some of her restlessness.

During a break, while they sat enjoying one of Karen's marvellous fruit drinks and biscuits, Jo asked Althea, "So what will we do? More dancing?" In her mind there was only so much dancing one could take.

"Oh, we do loads of other things during winter term. Sometimes we have progressive games or charades, or stunts."

"The mistresses have loads of experience with these things," Sam added wisely. "Sometimes we get snowed in for weeks in the winter. We won't be bored."

"Good to hear." Ace was inwardly dubious, but she'd spent enough time here to know that they were usually right about such things.

Sarah just sat and listened as the talk ranged from anecdotes about the school to a discussion of what the ban on travel would mean for them. She was a little tired, as she still hadn't fully recovered from her illness, though she wasn't about to admit it. "What about food?" she interjected, suddenly. "I mean we've got lots of people here, and presumably not all our food comes from the Platz."

"I hadn't thought of that." Robina looked worried. "I imagine we'll run low on a few things but Karen's good at improvising with what we have."

"I know the school makes a point of buying from the local farmers. The rain may have affected the harvest, but there will be some food available, and they'll find a way to keep us fed. If nothing else, we have root vegetables and staples in the kitchen storage. I suspect we might get vegetable stew, if we can't get meat." Sam was about to say something else, when the music started up for another round of dancing, and Miss Ferrars came over.

"Sarah, how are you feeling? Would you like to go up to bed now?" Matey had made it very clear that Sarah was not to overtire herself.

"A little tired. I don't want to dance any more, but could I stay until the others go up? I'd like to watch." If nothing else, the isolation of the San had made her more interested in socialising.

"I don't see why not. You've only got another hour." Miss Ferrars grinned at her, and then walked over to join Miss Wilmot and some of the other mistresses.

To Sarah's surprise, for the rest of the dancing, the group took turns sitting out dances to talk to her. Somehow Ace had bonded with Althea, Robina, Sam, Val and Jo, and she seemed to have been dragged into the group by default. She didn't mind. She and Val had got along well during the hike and the others were nice enough. And being alone had made her realise how much she missed being part of a group.

~*~

The next morning, Sarah woke before the bell, which was later than usual as it was half term. The school rule allowed her to sit up and read, if she did that quietly, so she got her book, but she also got the puzzle box and examined it. It was small, perhaps one by one by five inches and had been made in a pattern of light and dark woods, and she couldn't tell which end was supposed to be up. Running her fingers lightly over the box, she felt one of the sections give beneath her finger, so she pressed it down. It didn't open, so she knew there must be multiple steps. She slowly worked out the steps...pressing, sliding and twisting until the sixth step freed a sliding panel at the end to twist up and open the box. Inside, she found what looked like a pen and after a minute's study, a note that had been rolled up, but had untwisted against the sides of the box.

> Dear Sarah,
> 
> I have no doubt that you will get this far. This pen is rather special. If you twist the cap, it will turn on a small torch. Twist it again and you will see a small keypad. Hold on to it until we meet again. I suspect you'll find it very useful in the meantime.
> 
> Doctor John Smith.

Below this was a neat column of three digit codes for some functions that Sarah understood and some that she hadn't a clue about. She wondered how the Doctor had made it so small. Perhaps he was a spy, like James Bond.

She filled the pen with ink and gave it a quick test in her journal. Perfect. She shoved it in her blazer pocket so she wouldn't forget it. No one would ever notice her carrying an extra pen.

~*~

That morning they were given free time to work on the sale, if they wished, or write letters or read, if they didn't and after Mittagessen, they were sent up to their cubies to find a fresh sheet and two pillow cases on their beds. They had been instructed to create costumes from the three items, with the caveats that they weren't to cut the material, and that the only fastenings they could use were safety pins.

Bringing the sheet and pillowcases down to the form common room, the girls set to work. Ace had an immediate idea and started considering ways to make it work. The others were slow in starting but one by one came up with ideas, and proceeded to start turning them into reality. Eventually, Sarah was the only one still turning the pillowcases around in her hands, and considering. Suddenly she grinned and asked Ace to pass the safety pins.

While they worked, she and Ace started talking about the storms quietly.

"This doesn't seem normal at all."

"I know what you mean."

"I'm sure you do. You're not behind it are you?"

Ace gaped at Sarah. "You can't possibly be serious. Of course not. We're trying to stop it, the Professor and I."

"He's an alien, isn't he?"

"How'd you figure that out?" It never occurred to Ace that she was admitting it.

"Double heartbeat. Admittedly I was rather dazed, but that was rather distinctive. Besides I've seen strange stuff before."

Looking cautiously at the other girls, Ace changed the subject, resolving to take it up with Sarah at a later date.

After Abendessen, the girls were sent up to change into their costumes. There were the usual numbers of ghosts and nuns, but one girl had dressed as a superhero with the sheet folded over several times to act as a cape, Jo had come up with a credible luna moth and Val had outdone the rest and come as a freshly made bed, having stuffed one of the cases inside the other for a pillow and ironed and starched the sheet so that it would stay flat, for which she received the top prize, to the glee of the class.

Sarah had dressed as a white witch and Ace had folded the sheet into a credible toga on the grounds that having picked up the skill with the Doctor, she might as well use it. Neither had felt they had any hopes of a prize, so they were relieved when the prize giving was over and they were permitted to take off their costumes.

All the girls had been instructed to wear their Sunday dresses and once the costumes were removed, they were lined up and sent off on a treasure hunt. No package would be among the girls' personal belongings or in their cubies, and there were enough packages that each girl might have one, and once she found one, she was to return to the hall where there would be refreshments.

Althea spotted one almost immediately, a long thin package taped to the stair rail, which turned out to be a ruler. As she had broken hers the week before, she was thrilled and almost danced back to the hall.

Now the searching began in earnest. Looking carefully, the girls slowly started to find packages in the most unlikely of places. All of them were small things, pencils and handkerchiefs; hair ribbons and little bags of boiled sweets. Val found a little notebook, Jo, a cross stitched bookmark with a motto on it.

Sarah and Ace wandered off together to search further afield. Finding themselves alone at the end of the hallway, Sarah grabbed the opportunity to grill Ace about the Doctor. "Are you an alien too?" She kept her voice down as she felt around the windowsill.

"Not on your life. Human as they come. We go around and we fix things. Like this weather."

"I knew this rain couldn't possibly be natural. Ah, here's something." Sarah unwrapped the package and discovered it contained a sewing kit causing them both to giggle.

"Better you than me," Ace commented as she discovered a small square package taped flat against the wall. "Though this isn't much better," she added, displaying handkerchiefs. "Ah, well, I suppose they'll be useful here." Looking around, she added quietly, "I wanted to check the attic. Coming?"

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it." Sarah tucked the sewing kit in the pocket of her dress and followed Ace around a corner to the stairs they had taken to unpack their trunks.

Knowing they only had limited time before they're missed, they quickly scanned the attic for anything unusual. A flickering light caught Sarah's eye. "What's that?"

Ace followed her over and there, behind the trunks was a gadget just like the one they had seen at the Tshuggen. "I don't think this belongs here."

"Neither do I." Sarah looked closer. "That doesn't look like any human reading I've ever seen."

"Daleks." Ace almost spat. "Should have known." Ace gave Sarah the abbreviated version. "Alien race, look like pepper pots, intent on taking over the universe or something. Why is there never a baseball bat around when you need one?"

Sarah dug her pen out of her pocket along with the instructions. Showing them to Ace, they figure out how to use it to scan and disable the gadget.

"It was given to me by a friend before we left England." Sarah had no idea why she considered Dr Smith a friend when she only met him once.

Ace just assumed the Professor was being devious again, but wondered why he hadn't given it to her. Even though he'd made it clear that he had planned for them to work together. "There, I think we've done it. Now to do a little random damage to make it harder to start up again." She reached in and pulled out a few of the wires they uncovered.

"We should probably head back. It's getting late." Sarah said and she showed her watch to Ace.

"Oh, no."

The two of them made a mad dash for the door, but when they reached the main floor, more dusty than they realised, nemesis was waiting for them, in the form of Miss Ferrars.

"And where have you two been? Everyone else came back a half an hour ago."

"The attic." Sarah blurted out, being a honest girl, but then she caught herself. "We thought there might be prizes up there. But we didn't find any until we came back down again."

"You were told the attic was out of bounds. The rest of the school is having refreshments, but you will return to your dorms and get ready for bed. Tomorrow we will discuss your proper punishment."

To their relief, the next day they were told that their punishment would begin on Tuesday, after lessons started again, when they would present themselves to Mademoiselle after geography, to help with the sewing of the costumes for the fête. Unlike most years, they would not be able to use costumes from the school's accumulation. While most of the forms were making their own, Ace and Sarah would spend the week helping make costumes for the Junior forms.

~*~

That afternoon, they discovered that Jo and Val had also been assigned punishment, Jo for untidy drawers at the last inspection and Val for running in the halls because she was late to history. Ace and Sarah were working together, cutting out fabric for the simple A-line frocks the school had decided on and couldn't help whinging a little about being stuck sewing.

"I didn't come to school to learn how to sew."

"Neither did I. But I suppose when in Rome...."

"When will we ever need to know how to make clothing? I'm not moving away from civilisation any time soon."

"I don't mind sewing on a button or mending a darn, but this is just silly."

Jo found herself struggling with her machine as she started sewing the seams. She had been here more than half a term and Mademoiselle was still having her pick out stitches because she hadn't held the fabric steady. "I will never get this right."

"You will. All it takes is practise." Val reassured her. "I was just as bad when I came."

"I'm determined now. I won't let a little needle defeat me." Jo reassured her.

"That's the spirit. Keep working at it Jo. It might not be the most pleasant skill, but it's a useful one. "

Mademoiselle agreed. "You never know when you might find it handy, Jo. Just continue working as you have been, and you'll get it in time. Although, for this task, perhaps you had best change places with Val and pin the pieces while she runs them through the machine," she added.

"That might be a good idea," Jo said, feeling relieved. She wasn't apt to get anything wrong if she was just pinning the pieces together.

To the girls' surprise, they finished half a dozen dresses that afternoon, and now that they had the knack of it, they knew they could manage more tomorrow. On the way out the door, Sarah commented to the other three that as much of a pain as sewing was, it was nice to see the completed garments hanging there, and the others agreed.


	11. Mischief-Makers

Dearest Mum and Dad,

I hope you're both well and happy. I was thrilled to get your last letter. I love to hear about what it's like there. It's almost like I'm there with you. Not that I'd give up school for it. Boarding school is even more marvellous than I expected.

We've been devoting a surprising amount of time to the sale. In cookery class we used an American cookbook that belongs to Samaris to make candies- that's what they call them in America- fudge and salt water taffy (not toffee) and peanut brittle. The sixth forms will be selling it at the refreshment tent. We got the chance to taste a little and it is yummy in the extreme. I wish I could send you some.

I don't know if you were here when Tom Gay was, but apparently she's really good at miniatures and every year she's outdone herself with a new doll house for the sale. She hasn't sent it out yet, but some of the speculation I've heard has been really funny.

_We_ have the toy and game stall. Our latest projects have been painting the toys that other people have made and making game boards. We've got it down to a system. Some of the girls who are good at art draw the boards, and one or two of the girls make pieces and dice and questions, if the game calls for them. Some of them have turned out really nice. We're also making kites and tops and jigsaw puzzles.

At my old school each girl would have been doing her own thing, but here we're making lots of things collaboratively. It's rather neat and makes me feel like I _belong_ even though I've been here less than a term.

I did get a punishment for untidy drawers, but it's my first one all term. It's _easier_ to keep tidy here. I've enclosed a snap, so you can see the difference.

We've got a nice pile of merchandise and I bet our booth will be the best of all. I wish you could come to the fête. Maybe next year?

All my love to both of you,  
Jo

~*~

Dear Madge,

It's been a rough term here, as I told you in my last letter. The continued storms are getting to the students and half term had to be cancelled due to the storms. I don't remember any term that's been quite so bad, even during the worst of our winters.

So it's no surprise that the girls have broken out in a series of pranks. Oddly enough, it seems to have been started by two girls deliberately trying to break the miasma that was starting to hang over the school.

Sarah Jane Smith and Ace McShane. We were worried at the beginning because they were both new and inclined to bond with each other rather than the rest of their form, but since the flu epidemic, they've become a solid part of the coterie formed by Althea, Robina, Val and Sam. But they're both strong minded independent individuals and this latest outbreak should have been expected in retrospect.

They're both taking science- chemistry this term- and from what I gather, they planned this to stir up the school. Apparently they understand their chemicals much better than I do, because they managed to cause a series of stirs with strong smells and a minor explosion. I must get a detailed explanation from Miss Allen, so that I can put it into my next book.

To her credit, Miss Allen gave as good as she got, making them write out reports about the scientific principles behind their tricks and give a controlled demonstration to each form in turn. Miss Annersley invited me over to watch with the sixths, and for all the flashy effects, their last experiment was very simple and scared me half to death. The girls had two beakers filled with clear liquids, a knife and an apple. They cut the apple open, and poured a small amount of the liquid from one beaker on half of the apple, which just _dissolved_ it, and then did the same with the other liquid and the other half of the apple.. Then with a grin they mixed the two liquids together and each took a swig. The whole class was horrified and I rushed over expecting to have them double over in horrible pain. But they were fine and explained that the two chemicals when mixed together made salt water. It seems very strange to me, but Miss Allen says that her professor at uni showed them the same trick.

There have been other pranks being played, and I must describe to you one or two that I found unique in the extreme. I'm not sure where the idea started, but Inter V came up with a twist on an old favourite to protest the number of fines they were getting for slang. For about a week, they spoke in pig Latin- but only at times when the language rules were in abeyance. The prefects managed to stop it by speaking right back at them. Jack turned out to be especially proficient.

But the absolute highlight, and I have to tell you I broke out in peals of laughter when I heard about this, was the rumour that group started. They began by dropping hints that they had heard the uniform might be changing in the autumn. Once they had the other students speculating, they posted a message on the board in the hall, without taking any pains to make it look official – later they explained that they want to make sure people knew it was a joke, and taking the letterhead would have crossed a line – stating that the uniform as of the autumn would be a white cotton blouse, blue jeans and a black leather jacket. They even did a rather rough drawing of a girl in the proposed "new" uniform. In the end, nemesis fell, but lightly, as they didn't actually break any rules. In fact, they were very careful not to. The notice went up while they were in the hall for other reasons, and we've never had a rule that said students _couldn't_ post things there. I understand Miss Annersley gave them a lecture and you know how sarcastic she can be, but when she told me the story we looked at each other and burst into laughter.

And of course I've saved the best for last. Julia Elinor and Francis Alexander, both ginger and absolutely adorable. Born last night. I did manage to finish the book before then and it's been sent safely to the publisher, so you need have no worries on that account. Now Jack is telling me I must put down my pen and get some sleep. Expect snaps in my next letter.

Love to all,

Joey


	12. Old Friends

The girls filed into music, surprised to see someone other than Plato standing at the lectern. Plato, or Mr Denny, as he was more properly called was a fixture of the school, having been with it since its early days in Tirol, and the reason for the nickname was lost in the depths of school history.

In his place was a figure just as eccentric as the beloved music teacher. He was short, with wild hair, and a jumper covered in what looked like question marks.

"Are we ready? Let's begin." He proceeded to pull out a set of spoons and play them on the lectern for a minute or so. The class was deathly quiet, not quite knowing what to expect. "Do you think you've got the tune?" He blinked at them and then paused. "Oh, I forgot, Mr Denny is ill, I'm afraid." He rolled the 'r'. "I'll be filling in for him until he's better. Nothing to worry about, but I understand he's in fragile health to begin with. I'm Doctor John Smith, by the way." He quickly ran through the roster.

"We're to start on a new song for the show at the fête. Here, Ace, can you pass out these books?"

Ace looked at the stack he handed her. "Kipling? Really, Professor. Must we?"

"We must. I'm surprised you don't like him more. He's almost as bloodthirsty as you are." That got a few bewildered laughs.

"Sorry, Dr Smith is my guardian," Ace explained as she passed out the books. Kipling wasn't half bad, she liked annoying the Doctor, but cheeking the teachers like that wasn't done here.

She made a point of being a model pupil through the lesson, which turned out to be surprisingly entertaining. The Doctor was full of stories about the man, and Ace made a game of counting how many times he referred to Kipling like an old friend, but to her disappointment, he only did that twice, and quickly recovered.

Ace knew what a good teacher he could be, and was gratified to see that the rest of the class enjoyed the lesson, to the point of there being a rush on the Kipling books in the library over the rest of the term.

~*~

As the Doctor was leaving the form room, he ran into Barbara. "You're looking well. Are you enjoying teaching here?"

"Do I know you?" Something about the twinkle in his eye was so familiar, but Barbara couldn't place it.

"Of course you do. Ah. I know what's wrong. It's the face, isn't it? But change is good for both body and soul. We travelled together, you and I, and young Chesterton, once upon a time."

"Doctor? But how?" She stared at him, trying to see the elderly Doctor, in this eccentric man who wasn't much more than middle aged.

"The nature of my species. When one body wears out, I change." He grinned at her, and she could suddenly see the man she remembered. "But how are you? Teaching history, I gather. Ace says you're a brilliant teacher, but then Susan thought the same."

Barbara gave him a wry grimace. "It was hard. We landed two years out from when we left, and we had to come up with a cover story. I called my old school, knowing they'd help me out, if there was a position open. Ian's had a rougher time but he finally found a position, though it won't start until September. No, it wasn't your fault. That Dalek machine got us closer than you ever did." She smiled at him, and after a moment, waved her ring at him. "Ian and I are engaged. We'll marry as soon as we have some money put away."

"I'm so glad to hear that." The Doctor clearly meant it. "Perhaps I might manage to show up at your wedding." He had actually, in his fifth incarnation, finally got the coordinates right.

"Oh. There's something else I need to tell you about." Barbara proceeded to describe the shadow that she and Jo had seen in the school. "There can't be Daleks here, can there?"

"I'm sorry to say that's why I'm here. Not that I was certain until just recently. Ace and I were investigating this weird weather, and she found some evidence that led to that conclusion. Whatever they're up to, it's nothing good. But I'll be around the school for music lessons, at least until Mr Denny is better, and here's my phone number at the cottage." He dug a scrap of paper out of one of his pockets and wrote down the number. "Ace is my current companion and she and Sarah are my eyes and ears here, so you can get a message to me through either of them."

"Schoolgirls?"

"Susan was a schoolgirl. But I'm glad to have you looking out for them."

"I'm just glad I don't have to deal with Daleks on my own." Barbara gave him a shaky grin and he reached over and hugged her.

"It's good to see you again, and now I must dash. And shouldn't you be teaching history to Inter V?"

"Yes, I should." She grinned again. "It's good to see you again, Doctor."

"And you, my dear." The Doctor headed to the exit with a bounce in his step and Barbara entered the classroom, where she was relieved to find that the girls were merely sitting on the desks talking about Kipling. As this tied in to the period they were studying – colonialism and its effects, she was more than delighted to continue the discussion, drawing on Kipling's experiences in and portrayal of India and how it was both informed by and influenced British ideas of colonialism during that time, and was delighted with the girls' interest in the subject and the lively debate that followed. This was why she loved teaching.


	13. An Unexpected Discovery

That day at Mittagessen, Miss Annersley surprised everyone by announcing, "The weather seems to have cleared for the moment. Classes are cancelled for the afternoon, and after your meal you will go to the splasheries to get ready for a walk. Each girl must don boots and carry their raincoat and umbrella, as we are not sure how long this weather will continue. Please be careful as the ground is saturated and may be slippery. You will be keeping to the paved roads as much as possible, as we don't know the state of some of our usual paths, so I'm afraid you must croc, but the fresh air will do you good."

Gleefully chattering, the girls almost rushed through their meal, and then hurried to the splasheries. Once everyone was ready, the forms were paired off and sent in various directions along the Platz. The mistresses had debated the wisdom of this and decided the benefits of fresh air and exercise outweighed the hazards and inconveniences. Miss Ferrars had openly lamented that it was rain instead of snow, as they could have just stuck the girls on skis, but as this was impractical in the current situation, the other mistresses had nodded and moved on. The mistresses would keep the girls out as long as possible, to take advantage of the clear weather.

Inter V, being the only form without a and b divisions, was not paired with another form, but was sent out in the care of Miss Ferrars and Miss Wilmot. As they passed by Freudesheim, Margot hailed them with a wave. "Are you off on a ramble today? Do you mind if I come along? I've been going stir crazy being stuck in the house. Anna and mama have the babies out in the garden, and I'm dying to stretch my legs."

"Of course you may," Miss Ferrars said. "The more, the merrier."

And it was indeed a merry party. Althea was inspired to start on one of the songs that the Doctor had taught them and the others quickly joined in.

_And I've tramped Britain, and I've tramped Gaul,  
And the Pontic shore where the snow-flakes fall,  
As white as the neck of Lalage--  
As cold as the heart of Lalage_

The road was slippery, where mud had splashed on to the tarmac, and when a car passed the girls had to stand by the side of the road in the mud. But the fresh air made up for the need to keep to a croc rather than break ranks.

Then disaster struck. The shoulder of the road had narrowed along a grassy bank when cars came by in both directions. The girls were squeezed together in the small area where the bank widened slightly in order to stay out of the road. The space would have been wide enough had the weather been normal. As it was, the four girls furthest from the road found themselves slipping over the edge. Jo was the first to lose her balance completely and the force of her landing pushed her down the slope on her rear. Ace toppled with an undignified yelp and tumbled head over heels before being stopped by a tree, halfway down the hill. Val managed to stay on her feet for a few yards, before taking a header over a bush, whose roots had been loosened by the rain, and tore away under the force of her weight, landing her on the bottom beside Jo. But it was Miss Wright's downfall that was the most memorable. Feeling herself start to slip, she caught at Sarah without thinking, but the sudden movement threw Sarah off her feet as well, and the two of them tumbled down the hill together.

"Jack, take the girls back to the school, and Margot and I will try to get the girls back up to the road, or, failing that, find another route." Miss Ferrars was already surveying the hill. "Margot, you're more experienced at this sort of climbing than I am. If I fasten a rope to that tree, do you think you can make your way down to check on the girls?" If the weather had been dry, the slope would have been no problem, but the rain had clearly loosened the topsoil, making it one big slide.

"I think so, Miss Ferrars." She slowly began the walk down the hill, using the rope not to support her weight as much as to keep her balance.

The girls at the bottom were starting to catch their breath and survey the damage, and finally Val called up to Miss Ferrars. "Everyone's fine except for some cuts and bruises, and torn and muddy clothing. But I don't think we'll be able to make it up the bank again. Too slippery."

"There's a way around to the village from down here. It's just a dirt path, so it will be muddy, but I don't think that matters at this point." Margot had made covered the twenty or so feet of the hill and was now standing among the girls. "Shall we go around?"

"Just wait for me."

"Don't be silly, Kathy. You go along with the others and Margot and I will manage with these four. There's no point in both of us being stuck at the bottom of this hill."

"You have a point, I suppose. Margot, are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Yes, but it may be slow going. Don't start to worry unless we haven't reached the school by dark."

"Girls, does everyone have their raincoat?" An unnecessary question as they'd been packed in their rucksacks before they left. "Good. When we get closer to town, some of the mud will have dried a little in this heat, and you can brush it off, and then put on the raincoat to hide the worst of the damage." It wouldn't do much for the school's reputation for the girls to show up looking like drowned rats.

They followed Margot along a pretty path through the woods. Here the roots were deeper and more tightly intertwined, and the ground, while slippery, was not as bad as their trip down the hill.

"There's a woodsman's cottage ahead. I don't think it's occupied now, but we can use the well to try to get some of the mud off." Margot said, and Miss Wright nodded.

"That sounds like a very good idea." It wasn't long before they reached the tiny cottage, and it was apparent from the storm damage that no one was living there any more.

"Watch your step, girls, there's broken glass from the windows here."

"Don't windows usually break inwards?"

"Yes, that's strange."

The girls gathered around the well, and Miss Wright started to draw a bucket of water. "It's a bit stiff. I wonder how long it's been, since it's been used."

"I don't know. We didn't discover this until after it had been abandoned."

"Oh, no," Val had looked into the bucket and yelped with alarm, causing the rest of the company to look too.

"It's all mud."

"Great."

The grumbling went on for a minute or two, when a loud crash of thunder startled everyone into silence.

"Quickly girls. Into the cottage. I know the windows are broken but it will be better protection from the rain, than we'd have out here." Cautiously, Miss Wright pushed open the unlocked door, and froze, whatever she was about to say next died on her lips. She moved cautiously into the cabin and the girls followed behind, and the girls saw what had made her gasp. The door opened into the lounge and there was a man tied to a chair in there, and some very odd scientific equipment lining the walls.

Ace pushed past and pulled off his gag, before cutting through the ropes with her penknife.

"Professor Richardson?" Margot stared.

"You're one of the Maynard triplets aren't you? I'm sorry, I don't remember which one. And this is the school where my Ruey goes."

"Went. She's at St. Mildred's now. But- but- the last we heard you'd gone up in a rocket ship and no one knew what had happened."

Professor Richardson ran his fingers through his already disordered hair. "We were picked up. The ship was centuries ahead of Earth. Truly amazing. But the creatures who it belonged to were horrible. Looked like pepper pots. Called themselves the Daleks."

Both Ace and Barbara bit back a gasp, as Professor Richardson continued on, telling in broad terms about how the other members of the party had been killed, but he had been kept alive for his knowledge and to work as a slave of the Daleks.

"He never was right in his head, Went off on an experimental space ship leaving his kids with Joey Maynard," Val muttered to Sarah and Jo, but the other two girls had noticed that both Barbara and Ace seemed to be taking this very seriously indeed.

Sarah dropped down behind his chair and using her penknife, cut the ropes that held him. He started to rise and stumbled.

"Are you okay? Val, can you get some water from the pump for him?"

"Blood rushing to my feet. I'll be alright in a moment. They kept me fed. I wasn't any use to them half starved."

Ace dug into her rucksack. "I saved some of my chocolate. Here." She unwrapped it and handed it to him and he accepted it gratefully.

"Lean on me, Professor. It's not all that far to the San. Another mile or two, if you can make it. Whatever this is, I don't think we should stay here. Whoever was holding him might come back at any time."

"I agree," Miss Wright replied. Everyone got their brollies?"

Jo's umbrella was a little worse for wear after the fall, but the others were all in good shape. And the fact that Jo's had been neatly fastened, meant that it was spared more than minor damage. It wasn't pretty, but it would protect her, and that was the important part.

Margot led Professor Richardson out of the cottage and Val and Jo followed behind. Sarah noticed that Ace and Miss Wright had hung back, and she did the same, and watched as they started sabotaging the equipment without saying a word. Never one to shy away from such things, she joined in, using her penknife to cut wires. Ace's method was more direct. She had picked up the chair and was using it to bash in whatever viewscreens and control panels she could reach.

Once the three of them were satisfied that the computer could not be repaired easily, they left and quickly caught up to the other three.

~*~

Professor Richardson was left at the San to recover, and Dr Maynard called Joey to let her know and ask her to contact his children. The boys were at school in England, and not likely to get over until the end of term, but Ruey was near enough to visit and while Joey worried that she might still resent her father's desertion, it was clear from her husband's comments that Professor Richardson had been through a rough time, and might have come to his senses about his responsibilities towards his children. She only hoped it wasn't too late.

Ruey, to Joey's relief was of the same mind. She wasn't thrilled with her father's behaviour in the past, especially after he had dumped her and her brothers almost literally on Joey's doorstep when he had been pursuing his wild dreams of space travel, but she was willing to take the chance that his experiences _had_ changed him.

To her surprise, he was very glad to see her. After a very thorough apology, he clasped her hand, and explained.

"The Daleks held me captive and forced me to work for them and worse, made me watch as they killed the other two men who had gone up with me. After years of that, I'm only too glad to be back on Earth with my family. Thoughts of you and the boys were all that kept me sane at times. I'm not giving up my dreams entirely, but that Doctor fellow has some contacts in the British government, and I'll be working on the technical side for a while with other men and women who know what they're doing, and let other men take the risks. I know you and the boys are almost too old to make your home with me, but if you should ever want to, I'd love to have the chance to make up for the time I lost."

Ruey impulsively reached over and hugged him. "I'll be at uni in England soon, and I promise to come home for the hols." She wasn't sure if this would last, but she would take what she could get.


	14. This Can't Be Right

"Barbara." The Doctor looked up from the desk in the Inter V classroom, where he'd been rummaging for something. "I wanted to talk to you and the others about Professor Richardson. He gave me some interesting information about what the Daleks have been up to, and it's not quite what I thought." The students had been summoned to the hall after music, but Miss Wright had come by the classroom, hoping to find the Doctor there.

"We'll be working on the fête this afternoon. I can sort out the girls who were involved and you can talk to them then. And I'm sure, if you wanted to hammer in a few nails, no one would object."

"Slave driver." But he was grinning. "Thank you. I'll have to talk to Margot Maynard another time, I assume, unless she's likely to be around."

"St. Mildred's is coming over. Even if the storms stop, the grounds won't be in any condition to have it in the garden, so we must have the fête in the school this year. So we're doing a test run to make sure everything fits. Of course we can serve the food in the Speisesaal, but we don't want strangers roaming about, so we're going to try to fit everything else in the gym except the performances, which will take place in the hall."

"Very good. I will see you there."

~*~

The group who had found Professor Richardson, had, at Miss Annersley's request, not spoken of it to their classmates. Except their own little coterie, of course. There was no way they could discuss it without letting Althea, Robina and Sam in on what had really happened.

Robina was a little scornful, but the rest actively debated what the Daleks were and what they were up to. Ace, continuing her pretence of being a normal schoolgirl, didn't mention her previous experiences with them, but found herself trying to steer them in the right direction.

"Maybe they're responsible for the weather."

"Don't be silly. How could you take over a planet using the weather?"

"Terraforming?" asked Sarah, who had read plenty of science fiction. "Or change the climate so that the native species die out? If you do it quickly enough, humans won't have time to adapt."

Ace nearly said something about _The Day After Tomorrow_ but remembered in time that the film wouldn't be released for another forty years or so. Instead, she said, "That makes sense. But why here?"

Sam hesitated before suggesting, "Height. Maybe they need the high altitude for some reason."

"I wonder if this has anything to do with the shadow that Miss Wright and I saw," Jo offered.

"What shadow?"

"While you were all ill. I'd just been sent back to the dorm and I couldn't sleep, so I got up for a drink of water. I ran into Miss Wright, and pointed out a strange noise I had heard. She walked me back to the dorm and as we walked, we saw a shadow crossing at the end of the hall. It looked like this." She quickly sketched the rough form on a piece of paper.

"Like a snowman? A big blob of snow for the body and two sticks for the arms? You can't possibly be serious." Robina looked at her friends very strangely, wondering if this was a leg pull, but they seemed to be serious. For now, she decided, she'd go along with it, but it seemed incredibly absurd.

The talk went on in this vein for several minutes before the other members of the form started wandering in to the common room. No connections had been made, but they were all turning this over in their heads.

When the Doctor arrived at the gym it was chaos, as each form was using tables and string to see how well they fitted into the section they had been assigned. Beanbags had been placed to show the paths, and a bright member of IIIa had suggested that they replace them with brightly coloured papier mâché rocks to create paths for the actual fête, a suggestion that was enthusiastically adopted.

Inter V was very happy to have the corner opposite the door, and they were positioning their frame on the diagonal to see how that would work The frame was all they had of the dome, so far, and the other forms were openly wondering what they had planned, as they had chosen more traditional table to display their wares on.

Miss Wright walked up. Having been forewarned by Jo about the other three, she said, "I do like what you've done with this. As you girls seem to have things under control, you won't mind if I borrow some of your number? I need some help with costumes. Will Sarah, Ace, Jo, Val, Robina, Sam and Althea, come with me?"

The girls nodded. They'd established that the stall would fit perfectly. People wouldn't be able to get around to the back, but that wasn't a problem as all the goods would be in the dome.

~*~

The seven followed Miss Wright to one of the empty classrooms, where she had previously sent the Doctor to wait.

"Girls, I understand that you're the ones who found Professor Richardson. I'd like to ask you a few questions about what you saw there."

"Are you a policeman or something?" Val blurted out.

"Or something would be just about right. For the moment, you just need to know that I'm investigating what happened with Professor Richardson and I need to ask you some things about what you saw in the hut."

The Doctor proceeded with some detailed questions, and was heartened by the answers he got. Both Barbara and the students managed to come up with some interesting details about how the machinery was arranged, and the interface. But the most surprising was Val.

"When I went to get some water, I looked around the back and saw this big dish thing. It couldn't have been a birdbath because it was sort of tilted, as though it were angled to catch something from the top of the mountain."

"That would be the transmitter." The Doctor sounded relieved. "I was afraid I'd have to search for that. I suspect the damage you caused won't trouble them for very long, but Professor Richardson told me that it wasn't a full invasion force, just a few Daleks, testing some sort of weapon. I don't know yet if the weather is the intended result or just a side effect."

"You mean there really are monsters called Daleks?"

"Yes, there are, and if you see one, I want you to run and hide and then get word to me through Ace or Miss Wright. They're very, very dangerous." His voice was deadly serious and the girls resolved to do exactly as he asked. "And this mustn't go beyond the people in this room."

"What about Margot Maynard?" Althea asked.

"I've made plans to talk to her separately. I'm hoping she can lead me to the hut so I can take a look for myself. Now you best go back to working on the fête, and I'll be off."

Miss Wright nodded. "We do need to work on the costumes for the younger forms. I'll speak to you later, Doctor Smith."

The Doctor left and the girls set to hemming IIIa's frocks. Miss Wright kept a close eye on the door, but she let them chatter about what the Doctor had told them, knowing it would be best for them to get it out of their systems.

~*~

As he was leaving the building, the Doctor ran into Joey and Miss Annersley, who were talking in the entryway, and stopped to admire Joey's new additions.

"Beautiful." He made a few funny faces at them.

"Thank you." Joey grinned. "Are you free for tea? Somehow we haven't had the chance to get acquainted, and I like to know everyone on the Platz. Especially people who are so willing to jump in and help out at the school."

"It's a lovely break from my studies, and I enjoy working with the girls." The Doctor said, falling into step with the other two. "You know how it is, I suspect. You get so involved in your research or your writing that you forget there's a world outside. Tea would be lovely." Joey had been just the same in India- eager to get to know everyone around. A woman after his own hearts.

"We do appreciate it Doctor Smith," Miss Annersley added.

"Don't worry about it. How is Mr Denny?" The Doctor asked. He'd met the man once or twice on the Platz.

"Recovering. He never was strong, and the flu hit him hard. But he's been with the school almost since the beginning, and we worry." Miss Annersley led the two of them into her private study and rang for tea.

"I can understand that." The Doctor sat down on the corner of the desk and swung his legs. "From what I gather, this school places a high value on its own history, which is something I can appreciate."

"Margot tells me that you've asked her to take you round to the cottage."

"A little investigating. I happened to be on the spot, and the government sometimes calls on me for such things." Never mind which government.

The talk turned to the school's plans for the rest of the term, the fête and, of course, the strange weather.

"Do you think whatever was going on there was affecting the weather?" Joey asked. She'd heard some tidbits about Professor Richardson's story, but she assumed he was confused, after all that had happened.

"It might be. That's why I want to take a look at it. This weather isn't natural at all." The Doctor steepled his fingers and looked over them at her, slightly sheepishly. "The weather is part of why I came here. Someone noticed the unusual weather patterns," that someone being him, "and I arranged to move here to investigate."

"Well, I trust you'll get to the bottom of this," Joey turned the conversation to other matters. Science was not her field, and she was content to leave it to the experts.

~*~

After they'd both gone, Miss Annersley made a call. "Hello, Jack?"

"Hello, darling," Jack Harkness drawled. "Have you got some news for me?"

"There's someone else here investigating the weather. A Doctor John Smith."

"Is he now? Description?"

"Short, curly brown hair. Blue eyes."

"Not the Doctor I'm looking for, but good to know he's on the case. Don't worry, he's a good man, and if he can't get to the bottom of this, no one can. How's Margot handling it?"

"Just as well as we expected. I think she'll make a good recruit once she's finished her medical training. Just- hands off. I don't want to have to explain that to Joey."

"She still doesn't know you've been sending likely recruits my way, does she?" Jack chuckled. "I'll bet she doesn't know how many go into MI-5 or MI-6 either. But you teach the girls languages and you teach them to think, both of which are good skills to have in this business. I don't suppose I could convince you to join?"

"Not on your life. I've seen what you deal with. Give me a school full of girls any day."

"Such a pity. You're wasted there, Hilda."

"I think I'm needed here." It was an old argument. "So when will you be coming out?"

"I should be in Switzerland for the fête. Perhaps we could slip off and...."

"I do have a reputation to maintain. And the school will be swarming with parents and prospective parents. Another time, Jack."

"I'll look forward to that, Hilda. It's been way too long," and with that, Jack rang off and Miss Annersley turned back to her paperwork.


	15. A Magnificent Fête

After a short dry spell, the weather had turned horrid again, leaving everyone feeling cranky and out of sorts. The roads which had been cleared were soon blocked again by fallen trees and mud and there were reports of flooding.

They had managed to get some supplies up, but now they were starting to run low again, and Karen's vegetable stews were showing up more frequently instead of meat, to the point where even the students noticed. Miss Annersley couldn't help worrying about the food situation, as the damp had caused mould to start appearing. She didn't know what they would do for refreshments at the sale if this kept up, but unless the weather got better, they would have to cancel the sale anyway, as no one would be able to get to the school.

There was a general sensation of damp even when it wasn't raining. Clothes stuck to skin and made everyone miserable. The cricket pitch was one big puddle and the tennis courts weren't much better.

But the worst was yet to come. One morning, the girls woke to find a foot of snow on the ground. Many laments were heard about the lack of winter gear, but by the time they had finished Frühstück, the snow had turned to rain, melting and flooding the road and gardens. By Mittagessen, the temps were in the high 30s and everyone was complaining about the heat.

This went on for a week and a half. One day freezing temperatures, the next day boiling. And always the rain, whether mist or drizzle or hail. Finally the wind and the rain died down enough that Gaudenz and the other men could clear the roads and the train tracks and food was finally brought up. Miss Annersley insisted on enough stores to last until the end of term, for fear that this would happen again.

The girls couldn't help letting out a cheer at the sight of beef for dinner. As much as they loved Karen's stews and vegetable sausages, they had missed the presence of meat.

"The next step," Miss Annersley said to the gathered mistresses, and the Doctor, "is to decide whether we're going to go ahead with the fête. We've had two nasty stretches since the term started and if this weather continues there's a chance we might have a third."

"But that makes it _more_ important. The only recreation the girls have had this term was preparing for the fête. I don't think we should take it away from them. It's scheduled for a fortnight before the end of term. We can always postpone it a week, if need be," was Miss Wilmot's passionate reply.

"To be honest, I think we're looking forward to it just as much as the girls. We've been cooped up so much this term, it would be good to see new faces," Miss Ferrars added. "We're already planning to hold it in the gym. Even if no one can get up to the Platz, those of us stuck here will appreciate the diversion."

After more discussion about the pros and cons, they took a vote, unanimously deciding to hold the fête, if at all possible.

Miss Annersley passed this decision on at Abendessen, to a rousing cheer.

"Even if it's only us, it will be something to show for all our hard work," Val was heard to say and the others all agreed with her.

They set to work with a will. The lower forms cut stars and suns and moons out of cardboard and decorated them, and the sixth form punched holes in them and hung them from the ceiling of the gym, brightening it up for the endless dancing and obstacle courses that substituted for the missed rambles.

~*~

Finally, the day of the sale dawned. Grey, as usual these days, but at least it wasn't raining, and the girls all chattered cheerfully at Frühstück. After their meal, they were dismissed to the gym to set up their stalls.

The girls had been endlessly inventive. There were several space ships and one or two "space bazaars" and Inter V's dome, now covered in black crepe with constellations painted on it, both inside the dome and out. Tom's doll house was in the competitions table, of course, but they still had piles of stuff to sort and organise before the sale started.

Robina had a diagram that they had drawn up ahead of time and was directing the others in the placing of merchandise and signs. "Boxes over here in the corner. Marie and Aimee, why don't you sort them into puzzles and games, to make things easier to find? Outdoor toys over here. Tops, balls, skipping ropes,et cetera."

"Did we decide to hang the kites from the frame?" Ace asked. "Oh, lovely, Gaudenz put in hooks just as we asked." She hung four or five of the nicest ones to make a delightful display.

Once everything was sorted, they didn't have long to wait. The girls had divided themselves into shifts, so that they could all have a chance to explore, so most of them wandered off, leaving the first group of Ace, Jo, Robina, Aimee and Frederika to man the booth. To Ace's bemusement, their first customer was the Doctor, who insisted he needed a new yoyo and spent at least 15 minutes testing them all and joking with the girls, before picking out the perfect one. After that they were very busy, and Ace was relieved when the next group of five came to take over and she was free to explore.

After some searching, she located Sarah at the comps. stall trying to puzzle out Tom's doll house quiz. Having heard from Joey about the theme for this year, Tom had outdone herself with a "house of the future".

"List 29 different pieces of technology that we don't have yet and there are exactly 29," Sarah explained. "I have 24 so far."

"I'm impressed," Joey said, coming up from behind. "I got 34. But then, I was never very good with science."

"I think she may have put in some things that exist, but that aren't widespread," Sarah said with a grin. "So we'd guess things that have been invented, because we don't think they have been. Does that make any sense?"

"That's just the sort of twist that Tom _would_ come up with," Joey replied. "And it would explain my extra answers."

"Oh, I should have a go," Ace said, paying the entrance fee, and getting a slip to put her answers on. "Hmm, this _is_ rather tricky." She put her whole mind to it- not that she wanted to win the house, but because she couldn't resist a challenge.

Jack Harkness scanned the room, not spotting any version of the Doctor that he knew, and hoping he wasn't drawing attention to himself. Trying to stay unnoticeable, he wandered about, buying trinkets and chatting with the girls manning the booths. He knew better than to go as far as flirting with them. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate Miss Annersley, who had always been a good source of recruits. However, he couldn't resist kissing her hand with a flourish when he ran into her at the bookstall causing gossip to fly. He was too young for her, the school decided, but certainly handsome enough.

The Doctor, being the Doctor, bought something at every stall, on the grounds that he would need it sooner or later, did an impromptu display of juggling for IIIa and went in for all the draws, winning some frilly handkerchiefs and an apfeltorte, and won the hearts of everyone in the school in the process.

Abruptly a large clap of thunder rang through the room. Silence fell and then the lights went out. Thankfully, Miss Annersley had planned ahead. Torches came out, just as the emergency generator kicked in. They knew that if the lights went out again, their emergency power would fail and they would have to close down the sale, but for now, Miss Annersley just made a quick announcement about the situation and the sale continued, though some of the more wary souls started to leave, in case the storm got worse.

Jack and the Doctor both slipped off separately to do some detective work, and Inter V began gathering to get ready for their sketch. Handing the stall off to some of the prefects, they headed to the hall so they could start setting up their props.


	16. Companions Save the Day

To the form's delight, the show was a hit. While every student in the school knew how easy it was to make Joey laugh, they were gratified to get the same response from the rest of the audience.

Sarah stayed at the back of the stage, watching with delight as the form delivered her lines just as she had imagined them. There was Ace as the troublemaker, arriving at the school with a leather jacket over her uniform, and Robina doing a perfect stern headmistress, but best of all was Jo as the new girl who makes good, saving the school from a crack in the dome that threatens everyone inside.

As Joey put it later, "They _skewered_ the school. And me. Can you picture me a hundred years from now with twenty kids, including sextuplets, still poking my nose into school affairs?" at which point, she broke down laughing at the memory of it. Althea had done a very effective caricature of Joey, and when the lady herself complimented her on it, she was overjoyed.

The storm had quieted during their performance, but it was soon back in full force. Jack made his way up to the attic, while everyone else was having fun, and quickly found the Dalek machine. A scan with his wrist computer established that it had been shut down and he assumed the Doctor had done it. Finding nothing else in the attic, he returned to the main floor planning to investigate elsewhere, but he ran into Joey instead.

He had nothing against Joey, except perhaps that she was more persuasive than he was. The next thing he knew, he was agreeing to watch a bunch of teenagers put on a skit because "it's brilliant the way they just _skewered_ me", along with Joey and Miss Annersley. Spotting the Doctor up front, with a woman who he knew to be Lavinia Smith, he hoped he wouldn't be forced into action during the show.

The second show went even better than the first, until the lights started flickering menacingly at the denouement. Althea, Jo and Ace had climbed up on to a balcony on stage as they worked to mend the dome and prevent the members of the school from suffocating as the air escaped, and Althea slipped as she started to reach for the ladder to climb down, knocking it to the ground and just barely catching at the balcony before she fell with it.

Sarah froze for a moment and then grabbed her torch from her pocket and shone it on the three of them, so that Ace and Jo could see as she shouted instructions on how to pull Althea up, and breathed a sigh of relief when they hauled her over the balcony. Not that Althea had risked more than broken bones from that height, but Sarah was thankful she had been spared even that.

Getting them down was the easy part. There was a staircase that lead into the eaves- the ladder had just been for dramatic effect. Miss Annersley had slipped out when the emergency generator failed, but Miss Wilmot took charge and made sure that people exited the hall in an orderly fashion.

The failure of the emergency backup meant that the sale was indeed over. By the time Inter V made it back to the gym, the other forms were making the last bits of change, and Joey had taken it upon herself to announce the winners of the comps as she knew Miss Annersley would be busy. Ace was delighted when the Doctor won a lacy, delicate set intended for a newborn- a matching set of hat, jumper and blanket (which he later gave to Barbara and Ian on the birth of their first child). Other prizes were announced, and finally Joey reached what everyone had considered the most important of the prizes- the doll house.

Sarah didn't actually want the house, but she wanted to win. And she almost did, getting 28 of the 29 items correct. The person who had beaten her was Professor Richardson, who promptly donated the doll house to the San for their children's ward, saying, "I know you have some of the houses in your museum, but I think this one is meant to be played with. And maybe it will inspire some young tyke to a career in making some of Tom's predicted technologies come true." This got a big cheer from the floor and Jack Maynard accepted it gratefully on behalf of the San.

Once the raffles were finished, Miss Ferrars made a quick announcement about the amount raised. "Not as much as last year, I'm afraid, but we made a tidy sum for the San." Another cheer and then the prefects led the remaining visitors out to the car park, while Miss Ferrars gathered the rest of the school. "Girls, leave this. We'll clear it up once the lights come back on. We've got a meal laid out for you in the Speisesaal, and after that you may go up to your common rooms to amuse yourselves quietly or to bed. It's been a long day."

~*~

After Abendessen, the Doctor and Barbara carefully gathered Ace, Jo, Sarah and the others into one of the empty classrooms. "I've worked out where the Daleks' new base of operations is. I want you to slip out one by one, collecting your macs and brollies and meet me at the edge of the drive. Between the dark and the chaos, you shouldn't be missed for a little while." The Doctor frowned at them. "This is reconnaissance only. If we see a Dalek, you're to hide and get back to the school as quickly as possible. If anyone wants to stay here, now would be the time to tell me."

There were no volunteers, and within fifteen minutes the nine of them were gathered at the foot of the drive, the grey of the storm and the light of their torches making common sights seem very weird indeed.

The Doctor led them around the school to a storage shed, containing sports equipment that hadn't been used this term. Peeking in through the window, they saw another computer bank akin to the one in the woodsman's hut.

"Come on." The Doctor motioned them in, leaving Barbara to stand watch outside. After seeing how cramped they would be Robina and Sam joined her and they spread out so that they could see all around the hut.

The others waited for more orders, which were not long in coming. "Ace you take that machine there, Sarah that one, Jo, Val, Althea," punctuated by pointing with his umbrella. "Ace what does the dial on the top left say?"

"Can't read it. It's not in human numbers."

The Doctor realised he should have switched the language mechanism of the TARDIS back on, but it was too late now. "Describe the symbols-"

He was interrupted by a scream loud enough to be heard over the storm. "Daleks!"

Immediately, he changed course. "Ace, look outside and see what you can see."

"The girls and Miss Wright are running and the Daleks don't seem to be following them. They're coming this way."

"How many?"

"Two."

The Doctor slung off his pack and passed it to her. "Your Nitro-9. Go."

Ace grabbed four from the top pack and was off lobbing one and then another of the home made bombs at the Daleks, while the Doctor had the others go back to puzzling out the symbols.

"Got them," Ace darted back into the room followed by Barbara and shut the door, breathless. "Do you think there are more?"

"It would take four to run this station properly." The Doctor went back to his figures. "You should have stayed where it was safe, Barbara."

"Robina and Sam are safely back at the school, but these girls are my responsibility."

"Understood. Ah, I see how this works. Not that we'll be able to use it properly because it requires a direct interface, but if we press the right buttons we should be able to overload it and short out the other stations." He directed the girls to different buttons and dials and told them what to do. On my mark. Now."

For a moment nothing happened, and then the machine started making a high pitched whine. "Out everybody. Ace make sure this can't be used again."

Ace grabbed a few more bombs and passed them around. "One each, this is how you start the timer." She mimed a demonstration. "Surround the shed, throw the bombs through the windows and run. If you see a Dalek aim for that instead. We should have plenty to take out both the shed and the Daleks."

They scattered. As Sarah and Jo rounded the corner of the hut they froze, then at the same time threw the bombs in their hand at the Dalek in front of them, turned and ran for the school.

"Ex-ter-min-" BANG!

The small explosion was followed by a bigger one as the storage shed exploded. Barbara watched in shock as the Dalek she threw her bomb at disappeared just before the bomb landed.

After that they were all running for the school. Once there, they divested themselves of their wet clothes and slipped up to bed.

The next morning, they discovered that the Doctor had cleared the remains of the Daleks away, and that everyone believed that the shed had been struck by lightning.

The Dalek, meanwhile, returned to its mothership with the information that the experiment had been a failure. The drastic weather changes that had been intended to set off a chain reaction over the globe had never progressed beyond a limited area and the system was too easy to tamper with. In essence, attempting to engineer a catastrophe of this sort would be an ineffective weapon in the Time War.


	17. "I'm the Doctor"

"It's _sunny_!" Althea blurted out in surprise the next morning.

"It is _Sun_day, after all." Sarah couldn't resist the sarcastic reply but she ran to the window her cubie shared with Althea's. "Brilliant. It's about time."

Somehow, seeing the sun just made everything better. Despite the mess that still awaited them in the gym, after prayers Miss Annersley announced a ramble instead. The paths were still muddy and wet, but as the temperatures climbed to their usual level for this time of the year, everything started to dry out.

Despite the damp, the girls were thrilled to be out in the sun and even returning to clean up the gym didn't affect their spirits.

The Doctor and all the mistresses pitched in and the work was soon over.

Pulling Ace aside, the Doctor asked her, "Are you ready to go? I know you've been itching to get out of here."

"Naw. It would look strange if I left less than a fortnight before the end of term, besides it hasn't been that bad."

"So you're staying?" Sarah had been hovering at the edges of the conversation.

"Of course. I couldn't leave you to your own devices. That would be dangerous," Ace teased.

Sarah stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"Fair enough. I've got some loose ends to tie up anyway." The Doctor grinned and wandered off to talk to Barbara.

"And how are you doing, Barbara?"

"Miss Charlesworth has decided to leave to be married, so I've been offered a permanent position here. At least for the next two to three years, until Ian and I are ready to be married ourselves."

"You love this, don't you?"

Barbara patted him on the shoulder. "Not that travelling with you wasn't fun and exciting, but this is what I was born to do."

"And you do it so well. Good luck, and look for me at your wedding."

~*~

Jack leaned against Miss Annersley's desk insouciantly and Miss Annersley waited patiently, until he'd got it out of his system.

"I didn't have anything to do with it. I suspect the Doctor but I didn't spot a face I recognised."

"Why wouldn't you recognise him?"

"He changes."

"Did you speak to Margot?"

"I like that girl. She'll make a wonderful operative. Use the usual protocol, and that should bring her to the attention of the current head of Torchwood: Cardiff." For the last ten years, Jack had slowly seeded the Cardiff branch with people he had chosen. One of these days, one of them would end up in charge and he'd be in a much better position than he was right now.

~*~

Of course, Sarah, Ace and co. were more excited than everyone else. They kept looking at each other with secret smiles that they all knew meant "we did this." Between that and the success of their skit, the whole form was in an incredibly good mood, and though as Monday came round again many of the other forms found the sunlight and the possibility of going outdoors alluring in the extreme, Inter V returned to their work with a will, though they never turned their noses up at the rambles which became a regular feature of their afternoons.

"The girls have been cooped up long enough. Let them enjoy the sun," had been Miss Annersley's philosophy, born of years of dealing with Swiss winters.

As the week progressed, the paths dried out and the streams and rivers slowly receded. The cricket pitch was a mess, but the tennis courts had dried out enough that by the next weekend they were full of excited girls either watching or playing.

The last week passed in a rush, with packing up, promises to write, and last rambles around the Platz.

"I'm going to miss you," Sarah said one day while she and Ace were sitting in the apple orchard, reading. The ground had dried out enough by now that the girls were spending most of their free time outside.

"We'll see each other again, even if I have to twist the Professor's arm to do it."

"I'll count on that." Sarah grinned at her friend. Even though she was getting closer to the others, she knew none of them would ever take Ace's place, any more than Ace had taken Andrea's place.

~*~

On Wednesday, Sarah ran into Joey in front of Miss Annersley's office.

The woman grinned. "I was very impressed with your skit. You show a lot of progress. Just keep writing."

"The rest of the class helped."

"With the ideas, maybe, but you put the words in their mouths. I know it isn't the sort of writing you want to do, but you showed an amazing grasp of language."

"Um, thank you."

"And you probably saved Althea from a broken bone or two with your quick thinking."

"_That_ was Ace and Jo."

"But you had the presence of mind to shine the torch so they could see what they were doing, and the sense to yell out what needed to be done. So many people would have frozen in that position."

This was a new idea to Sarah. "But of course people help."

"Not all of them. Some freeze up or decide it's not their problem, or don't try because they don't know what to do, or because they believe they can't help. You jumped right in and took charge. I foresee great things from you, Sarah." Joey grinned at her. "Now you'd best get back to your lesson."

Sarah turned over Joey's words in her head. She _had_ tried to save Andrea, giving it everything she had. Perhaps there had been nothing else she could have done to save her friend. Dwelling on what ifs would suffocate her, and she found she wanted to be the person that Joey seemed to think she was.

She would always miss Andrea, but she had realised that no matter what had happened, she still had plenty she could do to help people and save lives. And a recipe for Nitro-9 written in the back of her journal among the notes for a story she would never write, except as fiction.

~*~

As it turned out, Ace and the Doctor didn't leave until the day after school broke up for the summer, so Sarah was able to corner him before he left.

"Do aliens attack Earth often?" Sarah was more thoughtful than worried.

"More frequently than you'd expect. Keep your eyes open, Sarah Jane." The Doctor hugged her. "And we will meet again, I'm sure of that."

"I'll look forward to it." Sarah grinned at him and waved as they set off.

The Doctor had deliberately parked the TARDIS down on the next shelf. It wouldn't have done for Sarah to come across it too soon. Once they were safely inside, Ace handed him a package.

"What's this?"

"I made you something to remember this adventure by."

The Doctor looked at her suspiciously but opened it up to find a rather badly knitted jumper. "I shall wear it on our next adventure."

"Don't you dare." Ace glared at him. "And if you ever send me back to school again, I swear-"


	18. Epilogue

Sarah carefully kept the pen gadget through out the remainder of her time at the Chalet School, expecting the mysterious Doctor John Smith to return for it. She had come to the conclusion that both Doctor John Smiths, the one she met in England and the one she had met on the Görnetz Platz, were part of some undercover organisation dedicated to fighting aliens.

But it wasn't until she was getting ready to start her course at Oxford, that she ran into him again. Her aunt had found the Swiss winters unpleasant and had returned to England the year before Sarah left school.

Her aunt was once again interviewing boarders, but Sarah was due to leave for Oxford in a month, so she hadn't bothered herself about it, until the day a Miss Martha Jones called up to schedule an interview. Sarah didn't think anything of it at the time, but the next day, a lovely woman had shown up with Dr Smith in tow.

Aunt Lavinia greeted him like a long lost friend, and immediately said they could have the room. Martha looked totally bewildered, but clearly wasn't about to object. Sarah suspected her aunt was just looking forward to someone she could talk shop with.

She wasn't at all surprised when the Doctor knocked on the door to her room, and she handed him the pen.

"Did you like your school?" he asked, as he slipped the pen in his pocket.

"It was better than I expected." She envied Martha, assuming she was another operative and wondered how she could sign up.

But Dr Smith clearly wasn't recruiting. Over the next few weeks, he teased her, asked her to run errands for him, and occasionally lectured her in the scientific principles of whatever he was working on at the time, and Sarah never dared to ask.

Soon enough the time came for her to leave for Oxford, and Martha and Dr Smith gave notice on the same day. Neither she or her aunt were terribly surprised, although they never spoke of it amongst themselves, but she sometimes wondered if that was a coincidence or not.

~*~

Sarah unlocked the door and paused a moment before heading to the kitchen to put away the food she had just bought. Somehow when she got to the door to the kitchen and saw the Doctor sitting on the counter, swinging his trainers against the cupboards and eating honey straight from the jar, she wasn't at all surprised.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?" she asked in mock anger as she set the groceries on the table.

"Sarah Jane!" He set the honey down on the counter and jumped down to hug her but then reconsidered and licked his fingers off first, before picking her up and swinging her around.

"You're still sticky. Wash your hands. And then help me put away the groceries and tell me why you're here."

"Bossy as ever." He made a face, but did as she said. "I was worried about you," he said as he stacked tins in the cupboard. "You disappeared out of time. The very fabric of time could have started unravelling."

"Oh come off it, Doctor, I'm not that important," she said as she passed him more tins.

"In the grand scheme of things, yes you are. Removing you from time would undo everything you've done, starting with saving the world when you were fourteen, and then...."

"I do remember the times I saved the world, Doctor."

"Ooh, jammy dodgers."

Sarah smiled affectionately. "Still the same sweet tooth. We can have those with our tea, if you like."

"I like."

"I don't know how you stay so thin, Doctor."

"All that running." He grinned at her. "But I imagine you do the same."

She grinned back and changed the subject. "Joey mentioned you in her latest letter. Asked if I kept in touch with you and Ace."

"Yes and yes." He nodded emphatically. "One of these days I should look Ace up. But she's a hard girl to track down."

"It's that time travelling bike of hers. Why didn't I get a time travelling bike?"

"You got a K-9 _and_ a sonic lipstick. I don't give those out on a whim. In fact I've never given any of my other former companions a sonic anything. Though a few of them have appropriated older models."

Sarah thought guiltily of the antique stashed upstairs that she'd used before he'd given her the newer model.

"You know, you never explained to me what was going on at the school. I know the you I met was older than the ones I travelled with and younger than you...."

"Seventh incarnation. A bit Machiavellian, that one. Too clever for his own good."

"You still are."

He glared at her. "I had a rather convoluted plan, mostly to work around the fact that Ace was going to need backup, and I'd be rather visible and Barbara's presence there. She didn't know about regeneration, so I wasn't sure if she'd believe I was the Doctor. She was one of the first humans to travel with me. I got _better_ at it," he said defensively.

"You did. Did you find a book in the TARDIS library _Care and Feeding of Your Pet Human_?"

The Doctor looked confused. "Would you consider a Neanderthal a pet, Sarah? Lesser lifeforms perhaps, but you were perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves- for the most part. And sometimes you even end up taking care of me. How many pets can manage that?" He reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You're not pets. I get lonely and even before- before Gallifrey was destroyed, I wasn't that fond of my own species' company."

"So back to 1965. I'm guessing you were responsible for Aunt Lavinia getting that job." Sarah forcibly pulled the conversation back on topic. Let the Doctor digress for too long and who knew where you'd be.

"I pulled a few strings there. And a few more to get Jo's parents out of the way, knowing they'd send her to the school where her mother went. Barbara got the job on her own- amazing how many of my former companions attended that school. Good training though, for dealing with strange civilisations and history."

"Who else went there?" Sarah couldn't help being curious. "I know Martha did. And Harry's wife." Margot Maynard of all people. She'd foregone Torchwood to work with Harry in UNIT, and just as well, given what Sarah knew about Torchwood's human resource practises.

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Evelyn, I think – she was a companion of my sixth incarnation. And the four of you. And I think that may have been it. The others have all been from the wrong time period or planet or went to local schools. But it's still the school to have the most pupils ending up as my companions. Speaking of which, shall I offer myself up as a date for the grand jubilee or whatever they're calling it? I know the seventy-fifth anniversary of the school is coming up, and I thought you could use a Doctor on your arm."

"I'lI bet you say that to all your former Chalet School pupils."

"Barbara and Jo are married. Evelyn is too, and I have to pick up her and her husband from the planet where they settled down. Ace wouldn't want me to. We'd have fun, you know that." He turned on the charm. He'd been looking for an excuse to attend.

"I do. I'm glad this time around it isn't just us girls. So which incarnation?" Sarah couldn't help wondering if he were being Machiavellian again.

"This one," he said, gesturing at himself.

"Only if you want to cause lots of gossip about the apparent age difference."

"So much more fun that way. Besides, all the other girls married their doctors." Evelyn had married a politician, but Jo had married a scientist which was surely close enough and Martha was engaged to another doctor.

"I never was the typical chalet school girl."

"But you liked it, though. And it taught you so many valuable things."

"Like sewing." Sarah giggled. "Never saved the world with it, though."

"I think Ace did once. She was horribly obnoxious about it afterwards."

"I can imagine. We had great fun whinging about the needlework classes. Though I didn't have any trouble finding other people to commiserate with about _that_ after she'd gone."

The Doctor grinned, but didn't comment. Instead he said, "You must have recognised me at Deffrey Vale."

"Yes, but I wasn't planning on admitting it in a crowded room. And I wasn't absolutely certain you were _my_ Doctor. Though I should have known."

"And I should have known you'd end up just like Joey, so unwilling to grow up you prefer to hang around with teenagers."

Sarah didn't deign to dignify that with an answer. Just sipped her tea and smiled at him enigmatically. Hard to believe they had known each other so long. Even when he was at his most obnoxious, she was glad to count him as a friend. And glad she had had the chance to go to the Chalet School too, despite the sewing.


End file.
